


I Really Like You

by EWTP



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Adorable, Between The Blood of Olympus (Heroes of Olympus) and The Hidden Oracle (Trials of Apollo), But it's okay, Confessions, Fluff, M/M, Nico di Angelo is Bad at Feelings, Nico di Angelo is a Cute Dork, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Will Solace is a Dork, Will Solace is a Good Boyfriend, they're both dorks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:21:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 40
Words: 75,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24238732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EWTP/pseuds/EWTP
Summary: In which Will and Nico go through their abundance of firsts.
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Comments: 426
Kudos: 827





	1. confessing their feelings

**Author's Note:**

> I'm jumping back into the fandom full force, this time contributing something to all our greedy selves!
> 
> I Imagine these all take place like two months after The Blood of Olympus and will eventually end with the beginning of The Hidden Oracle (for those who don't know, there's six months in between each book, and somewhere in that time frame, Will and Nico became an item).
> 
> Enjoy!

_i._

Nico tried to keep a straight composure, willing away the sudden rush of blood to his puffed-out cheeks.

He had been sitting by the strawberry field only an hour ago, mulling over the day’s events. It hadn’t been a particularly bad day, just one with lots of time to think and wonder over the empty feeling he’d grown so accustomed to.

Dinner had just ended, though Nico decided to skip it entirely. He wasn’t quite in the mood to sit by himself and pick at the food the wood nymphs had put together- at least, not where everyone was able to look and snicker.

Really, Nico had been content to just sit on the grass and fiddle with the skull ring on his finger, twirling it around and simply glaring at the grass beneath his feet.

That is until Will Solace had come strolling along.

Nico immediately knew he was going to get lectured over skipping a meal, which should have annoyed him had the skeletal butterflies in his stomach not decided to flutter around at the smile Will shot him.

He hadn’t said anything until he pulled a basket out from behind his back, suggesting they grab some strawberries before the harpies notice. Nico had agreed, though it definitely wasn’t because of the pleading look Will looked at him with.

They spent a good ten minutes picking strawberries, sorting through the plump red and pale green buds before they filled the little basket to the brim.

Nico had settled back on the ground, fully expecting Will to go off and offer the strawberries to anyone he came across. Instead, Nico was more than surprised when Will wordlessly sat down beside him.

The silence wasn’t the least bit uncomfortable, rather, it was oddly comforting to have someone so close. Maybe it was the slow reassurance of people being there for him, or maybe it was just because it was _Will._

Nico didn’t dwell on it much.

Will had eventually asked if he wanted to talk about it, though Nico denied. There wasn’t even much to talk about, just a bit of his insecurities squeezing their way through his walls. Surprisingly, Will let the subject go without any more comments, switching the topic to something a little more fun.

Eventually, Nico took one of the strawberries. He nodded along and added a few words to Will’s story, his previous worries slowly melting away.

Somehow, their topic of choice had turned towards Nico.

And that’s where they were, with Nico mustering a threatening glare towards Will’s laughing form. “It’s not funny!”

Will shot him a grin, something that made Nico’s heart stutter for just a beat. “It kind of is.”

They had been talking about the other day where Nico tried to help in organizing the infirmary’s storage room when Will had offhandedly commented on Nico’s frown looking like a pout.

Nico had assured him he had been frowning, not pouting. He was quite shocked at the admittance, even threatening to banish the son of Apollo away to the underworld, though Will just stifled his laughter and said he looked as intimidating as a little black kitten.

That time Nico has spluttered his disbelief, leaving Will to burst out laughing. He felt the blush crawling up his neck, no doubt painting his cheeks a red tint. He turned away, straightening out his back and trying to seem disapproving. “I do _not_ pout.”

Will plopped a strawberry into his mouth, the annoyingly bright grin never leaving his lips. “Sure you do,” he said, leaning over to poke at Nico’s cheek, “you’re doing it right now.”

Nico didn’t think his cheeks could burn as bad as they were, though Will throwing out the word _cute_ as he sunk his finger into Nico’s cheek made them burn all the more.

Nico huffed, pulling his legs up to his chest and burying his flaming face into his knees. “’M not cute…”

“You’re adorable.” Will said, unknowingly stirring the pool of emotions bubbling up in Nico’s stomach. “Absolutely adorable.”

Nico gulped, tightening the hold on his legs as Will continued to tease. He turned away from him, noting the orange sky in the distance. Somehow they had been sitting there for over an hour, the sun painting the sky in a warm vibrancy.

Suddenly, a moment of silence fell before them. Nico didn’t dare look back, trying to calm the racing of his heart and smoother down the embarrassment from his face.

He was sure Will might have just gotten up and left, though his voice came back in a surprisingly quiet voice. Nico could barely make out what he had said, though the seriousness in his words stood out like nothing else. “…and amazing.”

Nico’s eyes widened, willing himself to turn back and face the cause of all these gooey and impossible emotions. He nearly whimpered when he was met with those adoringly blue eyes staring back at him like he was the only thing in the world.

Dumbly, Nico managed a shaky _w-what?_

Will slowly leaned forward, his eyes never straying from Nico’s curious gaze. He gulped, his throat suddenly going dry as Will looked at him with such a serious and gentle expression.

“You’re amazing.” Will repeated, this time with more conviction. He propped himself against his hand, settling it dangerously close to Nico. “And smart.” He leaned in. “And beautiful.” He flickered his gaze down to Nico’s lips. “And- _And—”_

Will stopped, their faces only a few inches away. Nico was pretty sure his cheeks were burnt to a crisp at all the things Will had just thrown out, feeling that incredibly warm breath so close to his own. If Nico moved a bit closer, they would surely be able to brush their lips against each other…

He didn’t, though. Nico wasn’t sure if it would be appropriate, given that they weren’t anything more than friends. Even then, Nico would be far too embarrassed to do much of anything.

And sure, Nico’s thought of Will… in another sense, though he knew very well it couldn’t be possible. He was death- death, destruction, and all the bad things in the world while Will was all sunshine and smiles and _life_.

“Will…” Nico began, though quickly lost his wording. He couldn’t breathe, let alone think when Will was this close to him.

Suddenly, Will reached up, brushing a strand of Nico’s hair behind his ear. Nico squeezed at his legs, his nerves shooting up at the realization of just how close they were.

Before Nico could actually fret over the indecency of their position, Will smiled. It was a little smile, not one of the ones Will usually sported, though just as endearing. Reassuring, even.

That made Nico feel like his stomach was on fire, like he could vomit right then and there. Instead, the jumble of flutters poured out of his throat in the form of a nervous little ball of _bleh._

“I—" Nico almost stuttered, though caught the slip-up before he could embarrass himself any more. “You make me feel…” He lifted his arms, trying to convey _something._ Nico was pretty sure he was just flailing his arms around, no doubt making him look as ridiculous as he felt.

His face was starting to heat up again, probably painting his cheeks a bright red.

Will was just staring at him, his easy expression turned to one of confusion. It made Nico splutter some random words, much like Will had been doing, though these were random and definitely made no sense.

Nico finally huffed, dropping his head back into his knees and effectively giving up. He closed his eyes, willing himself to disappear from the very embarrassing moment. “I really like you…”

At that moment, Nico really wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole. It was possible, and Nico could make it happen in nothing but a blink of the eye, though he was sure Will wouldn’t be too happy about it.

Either way, he didn’t want to leave another gash on the ground.

“…Hey,” Will offered after a beat of silence, “It’s okay.”

Nico peeked over to Will, finding his heart nearly stop at the annoyingly bright smile Will was now wearing.

Spending so much time with Will must have been rubbing off on him, because not even a second later, Nico felt himself smile back.

* * *

_first time confessing their feelings_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oddly enough, this isn't actually how I imagine them getting together. Don't ask me how I imagine it, I honestly have no idea. 
> 
> Feel free to drop some suggestions, I'd very much appreciate them!
> 
> P.S: Come leave an [ask](https://ewxtp.tumblr.com/ask) or something on my Tumblr!
> 
> _Posted: May 17, 2020._


	2. holding hands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm kind of bitter because my graduation was supposed to be this Friday, two days from now...
> 
> BUT my year has been saved with the announcement of the PJ series on Disney +
> 
> Enjoy the fluff!

_ii._

It had been a week since Nico bit the bullet and confessed his feelings.

Well, _confessed_ is a strong word. Nico realizes the whole thing went more along the lines of _embarrassingly babbling away his thoughts on how gooey Will Solace makes him feel._

Either way, it was nice not having to worry about the butterflies burning a hole through his stomach, or the tingles in his chest whenever Will smiled, or even the little electric shocks that ran up his spine at every accidental brush of their skin…

Okay, that was a lie.

His feelings only seemed to amplify with their newfound relationship, leaving burning little marks all over his thoughts. Nico wasn’t sure what they were, though he certainly knew that the moment by the strawberry fields was to thank for his bustling imagination.

Nico shook his head, pushing away his trailing thoughts and stalking over to the infirmary.

Kayla, one of Will’s sisters, had been bugging him for the better part of an hour. She poked and prodded for Nico to go coax Will out of the infirmary, stating how he was the only one that could do it without much effort.

Nico tried not to blush as he finally gave in, ignoring her teasing words and moving to berate Will for having annoyingly stubborn siblings.

Pushing past the infirmary doors, Nico was immediately flooded with reasons he originally did not want to do as Kayla asked.

There weren’t many patients, most of them being fast asleep, though the few that were awake immediately flinched at his presence. He could feel their eyes on him, and maybe he was blowing it way out of proportion, but he could feel the obvious disgust hanging in the air.

Nico tried to ignore it, eyes quickly scanning over the area.

Will wasn’t there, neither were the other volunteers that dropped by every once in and awhile. Nico guessed they were back in the little office the infirmary had, and just as he was about to go back there, a door swung open.

Tall. Blond. Blue eyes.

_Will…_

Nico recalled being in that room only once, though that was because Will had insisted on showing him around. That particular door led to the locker room, where all the volunteer’s personal things were kept and stored.

Will had obviously been changing, shrugging on his camp shirt and adjusting it on his body. Nico tried not to flush at the slip of skin Will accidentally flashed.

His flustered state only worsened when Will looked up, his eyes immediately lighting up at the sight of Nico.

“Neeks!” He practically beamed, making his way over with a slow grin spreading on his lips. “Come here often?”

Nico blinked. He was sure he’s heard that line from one of the Stoll brothers at some point, though it was always met with an eye-roll from whoever they were talking to. Nico didn’t understand that question either way, as he _did_ visit the infirmary more often than not…

He ended up huffing, ignoring the question and moving to cross his arms over his chest. “Your siblings have been bothering me.”

Will laughed. _Laughed,_ as if Nico wasn’t standing there practically glowering at Will. He contemplated summoning a skeleton or two after him, but the lyrical laugh Will was letting out made him feel tingly all over.

“Well, what else is new?” Will grinned again, leaning down to (no doubt) tease him.

Nico turned away, refusing to acknowledge the look Will was giving him. “Kayla wants you out of the infirmary.” He said, focusing his attention on a roll of bandages. “Something about the campfire—"

Will suddenly gasped, making Nico jump in the process. The next thing he knew, Nico was being shuffled out of the infirmary and struggling to keep up with Will’s long strides.

“You’re coming to the campfire, right?” Will asked, glancing down at Nico.

Nico reached for his ring.

Despite being a resident at camp for over two months already, Nico was fairly sure he still freaked people out. He didn’t blame them, of course. He was the odd one out, and no matter how many times Will or Percy or Jason or _whoever_ said otherwise, Nico knew the truth.

For that exact reason, Nico hadn’t attended many of the campfires in the past two months. From what he gathered, it was a fun activity everyone looked forward to. Which made it something Nico could very well ruin by simply showing up.

That didn’t stop Will from asking every other night, though.

“Um…” Nico dumbly uttered, realizing they had stopped walking and now stood a few ways away from the Big House.

Will took both his hands, slowly coaxing his nimble fingers away from the skull ring and pulling them between their bodies. And _oh,_ Nico didn’t realize they were standing so close to each other…

He might have worried about it if Will’s hands weren’t so warm, definitely a different feeling from his usual freezing skin. Nico would never say, but he really enjoyed the feel of those thumbs running over his knuckles.

“You don’t have to,” Will began, his voice soft and full of something Nico couldn’t quite place, “but it’ll be fun. I promise.”

Nico, not for the first time, felt his cheeks heat up at the gentleness Will seemed to shower him in. It normally would have bothered him, but with Will, it felt… different. “I-I suppose it wouldn’t hurt…”

Will’s face broke out into one of those devastating smiles, effectively knocking the wind out of Nico’s lungs and leaving him gaping like an idiot once again.

“Great!” Will’s upbeat demeanor returned. “But now we have to hurry, I can practically hear Kayla complaining all the way over here.”

Nico was speechless, though what left him speechless wasn’t the reckless abandonment Will seemed to take once he spun into action.

It was the hand in his hand, leading him away from their previous spot and towards the muffled voices. More specifically, Will had only let go of his right hand, holding his left in a firm grip.

Nico’s hands were much smaller than Will’s, he noticed. He didn’t think it would be something he like as much as he did, though the tiny thrills running up his spine and comfortable fit said otherwise.

Nico didn’t even mind it when they came into view of everyone, even less when Will led them to a seat and looked at him with that face that just screamed happiness.

It turns out, the thing Kayla had spent so much time trying to get him to track down Will for was a sort of concert night for the whole of the Apollo cabin (well, all three of them). Nico found he didn’t mind much, even with Will’s slightly off-pitch singing.

He just couldn’t be mad at him, not when their fingers were still intertwined together and nestled safely behind them.

* * *

_first time holding hands_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh I love them too much!! 
> 
> _Posted: May 21, 2020._


	3. sharing food

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I recently read (skimmed) The Hidden Oracle and I learned that there are about nineteen year-round campers, so you better believe I will be including them in the future.
> 
> Also, enjoy!

_iii._

There was a knock on the door, startling Nico from his drowsy state.

He had just been about to climb into bed when the knock pierced through the air, effectively ruining his plans for a, hopefully, peaceful night.

Nico rubbed at his eyes, sauntering over to the rather impatient person waiting on his porch. Nico did catch a glimpse of himself in the mirror, leading him to stop and frown at his reflection.

Namely at the simple black shirt, plaid pajama bottoms, and black socks.

There was a time Nico would have felt shame over answering the door in such indecent clothing, in his _sleepwear,_ no less. It was something from the thirties that never really left him, as much as he tried to shake it away.

He trudged on, ignoring the slight discomfort over the action. He’s dealt with people seeing him in worse, so he tried not to dwell too much on the topic of his clothing.

Besides, Nico’s tiredness would lead him to just shoo away the person bothering him the _one_ night he actually wanted to sleep.

When he opened the door, though, Nico immediately wished he had put more thought into his presentation.

“W-Will?” Nico questioned, swallowing down the yawn threatening to tear through his lips.

“Hey.” Will smiled, though it faltered when his eyes shifted from Nico to somewhere above his head. “Were you about to go to bed?”

Nico shook his head, though he could hear the snicker Will sent his way.

“Really?” Will leaned down, his bright smile and annoyingly blue eyes directly in Nico’s line of sight. “What about those adorable little PJ’s you got on?”

“Valentina’s fault…” Nico muttered, barely registering what Will had just said. He let his eyes close for just a second, though it must have been longer than intended, because the next thing he knew, Will was ruffling his hair and letting out a genuine laugh.

“Go to sleep, Neeks.” Will said, practically whispered, before he turned to leave.

Nico watched for a moment, the heaviness in his eyelids and numbness of his throat leaving him long enough to utter out a _wait._

Will stopped on the last step, glancing over his shoulder and offering Nico a little smile. “Yeah?”

Nico lifted his hand, resting it against the doorway and pressing his cheek into it. “Did you need something?”

Will tilted his head, something Nico recognized as one of his _I’m confused_ tics.

Before he could elaborate, Will lit up and waved his hands. “No, sorry. I was just going to ask if you wanted to help me out with preparing s’mores for the whole camp.”

_S’mores._ Nico could have sworn he’s heard that word before, but he couldn’t quite remember where…

Still, his face must have shown his confusion because Will immediately began explaining himself. “It’s just a thing we do sometimes. Someone usually starts up a fire in the amphitheater and starts cooking the s’more’s before we all join in. I was going to ask for help with that part, but you’re obviously two minutes away from falling asleep right here, so I’ll just go ask Kayla or—”

“I’ll do it.” Nico slurred, moving to slip on the pair of shoes he kept by the door.

He saw Will frown, though Nico countered it with his own drowsy glare. He was starting to grow a little nervous now- had Will not wanted him to? But the whole reason he stopped by was to ask for his help, so surely that couldn’t have been it.

After a moment with no answer, Nico slowly curled in on himself.

“You asked me in the first place…” Nico mumbled, suddenly feeling shame rush to his cheeks. He was about to step inside and close the door when Will suddenly ran up the steps, uttering a few things while frantically shaking his head.

“No, no, no—” He said, looking down at Nico with a sheepish smile. “I’d love for you to join me. It’s just, well, you’re already really tired, and I wouldn’t want to get in the way of your much-deserved sleep, and—"

Nico blinked at that, the previous nervousness melting away at the sound of Will’s words. He kind of wanted to laugh, so he did.

It was short and mostly breathy, but it must have been an okay answer for Will to look at him like _that._ “I’m fine, Will.” He said, straightening out his back just to prove how _not tired_ he was. “I can help you out.”

“Y-Yeah.” Will stuttered, though Nico barely registered it. He was too busy trying to suppress the yawn crawling up his throat to notice Will’s flustered face.

Once he stepped out of his cabin and closed the door, Will led them over to the kitchen. They made small talk throughout the short walk, talking about this and that.

Everything was going well until Will pulled out a few packages of crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate.

“S’mores…” Nico thought, his brain finally putting two and two together. Nico recalled making a few back when he first stepped foot in camp, something that had kept him busy enough not to cause trouble.

That would have been around four years ago, back when Nico was a ten-year-old oblivious mess. It was pointless trying to remember how they tasted like, or even those night where he actually went to the campfires everyone cared so much for. Even back then, Nico realizes he didn’t allow himself to enjoy much, intentional or not.

Beside him, Will laughed.

“Sometimes I forget how old you are.” Nico glared, though he had a feeling it came out more like a pout.

“You’re mean…” Nico blurted, following in Will’s steps. He took some crackers out of the box, breaking them up and laying them down on a second tray.

“Have you ever even had a s’more?” Will teased, reaching for the chocolate next. When Nico shrugged and mumbled something along the lines of _I don’t know_ , Will froze.

Nico looked up, finding Will staring at him with an incredulous look.

It would have been funny, had their eyes not met. Nico always got lost in those blue eyes- they were like a calming beacon to him, grounding him to reality and leaving his mind a static mess.

“Wait, are you serious?” Will asked, his voice as confused and disbelieving as he looked. “You’ve _never_ had a s’more?”

“N-No?” Nico stuttered, though it was more due to the intensity in Will’s look than anything else.

Will suddenly grabbed the chocolates and marshmallows, throwing the bags on top of his platter. He picked it up, motioning for Nico to do the same. “C’mon,” he began, grabbing a handful of long sticks with a ‘u’ shaped end before throwing them with the other things, “we’re getting some s’mores into you.”

Nico flushed, suddenly a lot more awake than before. He picked up his half-finished platter, stumbling after Will’s long strides.

Will was going on about s’mores, saying things about the camp’s tradition and how they were basically the world’s most famous camp-snack. Nico didn’t know how true any of it is, but it was quite amusing seeing Will go on a tangent about something so silly.

Despite the night not quite being in full effect, the camp looked about ready for the night’s activities.

They hadn’t come across any campers on their way, something Nico definitely appreciated.

Sure enough, the campfire was in full blaze when they approached the amphitheater. Nico guessed Will had taken it upon himself to do that much before asking for help.

Will finally stopped, setting his platter off on the closest seat and taking one of those sticks he had picked up. Nico watched him pick a marshmallow, sticking it to the end and holding it above the fire.

Will looked back at him, offering a little smile as Nico squinted through his heavy eyelids.

Nico busied himself, taking a seat beside Will and continuing to break up the crackers and chocolate. Will started talking, though the lull of his voice brought Nico closer and closer to his impending sleep.

By the time Will deemed the marshmallow to be done, the sun was riding very low on the horizon.

He would have questioned why he was so tired so early, though Nico knew his previous day’s all-nighter and constant practice wore him out to no end. He was just glad Will didn’t notice, or else he’d get an earful of the importance of sleep and how bad it was to stay awake all night…

The next thing he knew, Will was waving a little square stack in front of his face.

He also didn’t realize when he leaned his head over, resting it against Will’s warm shoulder.

“Nico?” He asked, his breath brushing against Nico’s hair. “Neeks?”

“…Hm?” Nico drawled, leaning away from Will’s shoulder. He blinked up at the blond, vaguely taking in the dark sky and darker surroundings.

Will smiled, a gentle one Nico has seen so many times before. He liked it.

Nico felt a hand on his shoulder, probably to stop him from swaying any more. It was weird how out of it he felt, though he couldn’t really draw himself from this hazy conscious…

“Open up.” Was all Will said, his voice soft and full of amusement. Nico couldn’t help but do as he asked, his mind too scattered to think much of it.

He felt the warm press of something gooey to his lips, melting on his tongue and leaving a sweet taste behind. Automatically, Nico bit down on the crunchy cracker, the gooey thing exploding further into his mouth.

First it was chocolate, the bitterly sweet taste melting into trickles of warmth down his tongue. Then it was the marshmallow, sticking to the roof of his mouth and practically sealing his lips together. The cracker came last, it’s crunchiness balancing out the other runny textures.

Nico slowly chewed, blinking his eyes open several times. He looked up at Will, who was smiling bright enough to make Nico turn away and absentmindedly stare at something else.

Once he swallowed down the bits in his mouth, Nico let out a content sigh. “That was good…”

He heard Will hum in agreement before another piece was pressed to his mouth, though this time Nico just bit down without so much as a word.

A few moments later, Nico felt something rub against the corner of his lips. Maybe it was to clean up the chocolate that no doubt escaped from the s’more, or to scrub off the stubborn melted marshmallow that, also, would have gone everywhere.

Nico must have been really out of it, as the next thing he knew, the warmth from the fire was no longer tickling his skin. It didn’t even feel like was sitting anymore- more like floating on a warm cloud.

He peeked an eye open, and sure enough, Nico wasn’t anywhere near the amphitheater. 

Instead, he was staring at the night sky.

It was darker than before, and without the fire, the breeze seemed colder. He shivered, cuddling up to the warmth emanating from beside him.

It smelled good, too.

Even when Nico was laid in his bed, the familiar weight of his blankets wrapping around him, he yearned for that delicious taste of sunshine…

* * *

_first time sharing food_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I knew how I wanted this to end, though I'm not sure it came out well on the actual thing...
> 
> _Posted: May 25, 2020._


	4. using the 'b' word

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is more talking and thoughts than anything else, but it's an important part of their relationship :)
> 
> Did I mention I will gratefully and happily take requests for the 'firsts' theme? Because I most certainly will!

_iv._

Nico sat on the bed, a roll of bandages in one hand and a pair of scissors in the other.

These scissors were different from the ones he was used to; they were longer, with a more defined curve near the end of the blades. They were kind of funny-looking, though Will had explained how these were specifically made to cut bandages.

He’d been cutting them up for over an hour now, keeping Will company while he went through some manila folders.

When Will had mentioned he got stuck doing the paperwork this time around, Nico fully expected him to stay holed up in that little office the infirmary had. Instead, Will picked up his stack of papers and set them on the end of the bed Nico had taken.

_I don’t want you to be lonely._

So there they were, in plain sight to anyone who decided to walk into the infirmary.

Nico had toed off his shoes, sitting cross-legged while Will hunched over the other end of the bed. He had pulled over a chair to sit on, claiming the bed didn’t have much space left.

It was true, considering Nico was occupying half of it with himself and the bandages, while the other half occupied all the folders and loose paperwork.

Will said it was a collection of their files, medical things from every camper’s visit to the infirmary and things like age, weight, height…

Apparently it was a big deal, given Will’s rant when he went to fill out Nico’s sheet. That was back when he first settled down and actually visited the infirmary for his three days of rest.

Then it led to Nico explaining the situation around his memories.

It was already common knowledge that Nico had been placed in the Lotus Hotel, considering Hades was the only one who didn’t break the _no babies_ oath. The camp knew the basics of it, though only Will knew the extent of his ventures throughout the casino.

He hadn’t meant to, but it all just came pouring out one day. It had been a long and winded story, though Will simply listened and offered what Nico didn’t know he needed. It was one of the things that made him fall that much more for him…

_Wow,_ Nico _really_ didn’t know where all these thoughts were coming from.

They’d been sneaking up on him for months now, though recently, his brain was focusing all its attention on Will.

It was kind of annoying how many time Nico spent thinking about the son of Apollo, with his sunny smiles and golden hair and _aggravating_ face-

Still, as much as he tried to convince himself it wasn’t a big deal, he felt his insides bubble at even the mention of Will Solace.

He knew Will knew about these feelings, seeing as he always seemed to shoot him these looks that were just so teasing. He’d always used to do them, though they were much more frequent now that Will was his…

His, um…

Nico blushed.

They hadn’t had _that_ conversation yet, the one where they addressed just what had happened and what had changed in their relationship. He could tell it was something long overdue, though.

“What are you thinking about, sunshine?”

Nico jumped, startling himself from his thoughts. It was then that he realized he wasn’t even paying attention to the bandages in his hands, instead staring at Will as he flipped through some files.

He ignored the embarrassment of being caught staring, instead opting to roll his eyes at the one of many stupid nicknames he’d been given. “Nothing.”

“Oh yeah?” Will looked up from his work, his eyes holding an annoying sparkle. “Am I just that interesting to look at?”

Nico huffed, moving to kick Will on the shoulder. It must have been predictable, as Will caught his ankle in his hold and let out a teasing laugh.

“You’re annoying.”

“I’ve been told.”

Nico glared.

Will laughed again, his thumb slipping under Nico’s jeans and thumbing at his ankle. It looked like an intimate gesture, and it sure felt like it, though Nico wasn’t entirely sure…

He wasn’t up to date on most things, considering he’d spend about four years in the 21st Century. Most of that time was spent alone or in the Underworld running tasks for his father, and even then, he hadn’t been exactly educated on the modern world.

Nico especially didn’t know about relationships. This… whatever it was, was his first one. From what he could remember, people were defiantly a lot more reserved in the 30s than they were now, especially the teens around his age.

He knew his kind of preferences were infinitely more accepted than they used to be, though it didn’t do much to chase away the fear of _what if._

Still, he wanted to clear things up between the two of them before the rest of camp inevitably found out.

_Now or never._

“Will?”

Will glanced up from his work, still rubbing at Nico’s ankle. It was still odd to him, how Will would just slip his thumb over Nico’s skin and continue whatever it was he was doing. It was kind of nice, and Nico found himself slowly melting into the gesture.

“Yeah?” Will asked, his voice as soothing as ever.

Nico placed the scissors and bandages aside, mentally preparing himself for the upcoming conversation.

“What—” Nico frowned. “No, I mean, um…”

_Gods, this is embarrassing._

Nico breathed, begging his mind to sort itself out. It didn’t work, as Nico just ended up hesitantly waving a finger between them, wiling the blush crawling up his neck to _go away._

Will just stared at him, the corner of his lips twitching up ever so slightly.

_Jerk._

The thumbing at his ankle slowed, sending a calming wave up his body. Nico watched as Will shifted in his seat, completely ignoring the work he’d been so eager to get over with in order to properly face him. “I don’t speak…” Will waved his finger, mimicking Nico’s previous action. “this.”

Nico crossed his arms. Sometimes he _really_ wanted to open up a pit to the Underworld especially for the blond.

“Aww.” Will cooed in his annoyingly teasing voice. “Don’t pout. I’ll behave, promise.”

“I am _not_ pouting.” Nico growled, ignoring the puff of his cheeks and the jutting of his lip.

“Of course not.” Will laughed, squeezing at Nico’s ankle.

There was only one word he could manage at the moment, which was kind of embarrassing and made him yearn for more at the same time. _Warm._

“So,” Will interrupted, the teasing look on his face turning into something scarily serious. “By that, I’m guessing you want to talk about us?”

Nico slowly nodded, hesitantly looking back at Will. “I just… don’t know where to start?”

“That’s okay.” Will squeezed again, holding on for just a moment before he let go. Nico immediately mourned the loss of contact, though he absolutely _did not_ let out a squeak as Will stood from his chair, moving to sit on the edge of the bed beside Nico.

They were suddenly very close now, with Will bending one leg up on the bed and letting to other one dangle off. He noticed Will put his hand somewhere next to his, their fingers close enough to touch.

Nico focused on that, staring at the spot where their fingertips brushed every so often. It reminded him of when they bumped into each other at Half-Blood Hill, with Will shaking over delivering Coach Hedge’s son. He’d reached for Nico’s hand, though the action had sent an electric current down his spine, much like now.

“I guess—" Nico began, watching as his finger twitched. “I guess I’m just a little confused on, um, where we fall…”

_Gods,_ that sounded terrible. He was very close to simply deflating and shadow-travelling away, but then Will’s familiar laugh pierced through the air. Nico would have kicked him if it weren’t for the hand now grasping his.

“I get it,” Will said, slipping his fingers between Nico’s, “I really do. These past two weeks have been amazing, but we kind of left things off ambiguously, didn’t we?”

Nico nodded, suddenly very interested in the bandages by his side. “That’s what I don’t understand. I don’t know where we are, if that makes sense…”

He really hoped it made sense. He didn’t think he could go on and explain his jumbled-up thoughts any longer.

“I mean, I’d like to be your boyfriend.” Will smiled. “If you’ll have me, of course.”

_There it was._

He’d been expecting that word to pop up sooner or later, though Nico still found his cheeks flush a horrid red. It didn’t help that Will brought it up so casually with his stupidly calm voice and stupid smile.

Still, Nico thought it was quite endearing.

“Boyfriend…” He tested it out on his lips, savoring how smoothly it rolled off his tongue.

It was nice, something Nico never thought he’d get to experience. Now that it was at the forefront of his mind, Nico couldn’t think of anyone else that fit the description better than Will Solace.

Nico squeezed Will’s hand, offering him a smile of his own. 

That’s where they ended up for the rest of the shift, smiling at each other and holding hands in the safety of their own little bubble.

* * *

_first time using the ‘b’ word_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I find it adorable how stubborn Will is in The Blood of Olympus. He is definitely way more fiery than we tend to write him, and Nico is very obviously so into him...
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> _Posted: May 27, 2020._


	5. making him smile

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I intended to update this sooner, but everything just got in the way and I was hit with some writer's block, to top it all off. 
> 
> I do want to say this: black lives matter. I have been out there a few days protesting and signing petitions and everything I could do as an 18-year-old with no money or voice for a significant impact. I hope you have also done something, even if it is just signing petitions online.
> 
> Also, happy Pride Month! I adore every single one of you!
> 
> Enjoy this little something I managed to be pleased with!

_v._

It was another sleepless night, which didn’t really surprise Nico all that much.

He was curled up on his bed, leaning against the headboard and thumbing at the twisted bed sheets at his side.

His eyes burned from the lack of sleep, though he couldn’t bring himself to care. He knew Will would disapprove of his all-nighter, but Nico had woken up around the middle of the night to his own screams and fast-beating heart.

He hadn’t been able to sleep since then.

Or move much, as his cheek had become sore from where it was pressed against himself, numb yet tingle whenever it left the surface of his bony knee.

The shrine to his father was what he had been staring at for the past few hours, watching the way the Greek fire licked at the air. It was mesmerizing, something that took his mind off the very thing that woke him in the first place.

He hadn’t even noticed when the sun began peeking through the window.

Nico jumped at the knock on his door, having been caught off guard at the moment. Even so, he’d learned to expect those knocks early in the morning, as his… _boyfriend_ (he was still getting used to calling Will by that title) very much woke with the sun and insisted he also wake for breakfast.

It was a routine by now; every morning, Will would come knocking on his door and slowly make his way in. Nico found that Will always waited for an answer first, though most of the time he woke to Will poking at his cheeks and gently asking him to _wake up_ in various ways.

Sometimes he’d wake up to Will’s singing, and while he wasn’t the best at it, Nico enjoyed listening to him. Even now, Nico could hear Will warming up his voice behind the closed door with a few hums here and there.

After another knock and a soft call of his name, the door slowly creaked open.

_Of course_ Will had to have that sunny smile on his face this early in the morning, though when he caught sight of Nico, his smile immediately faltered.

Nico drew his legs closer to his chest, a new wave of guilt flooding his body at the sight of Will’s frown. He could barely handle the bright light filtering in to the room, though Will quickly closed the door behind him and moved quite purposefully to Nico’s side.

He couldn’t help but blush as Will drew near, eyeing the closed door. Nico had been debriefed on the rules to camp somewhere in the three days Will had forced him to stay in the infirmary, and he knew there was one about two campers being alone in a cabin, which he didn’t much understand, but…

Well, it was also the first time the door had been closed behind Will’s regular morning visits. He always left it open when he woke Nico, quickly diving out of it when Nico promised to get dressed and rid himself of his sleepiness.

Though it was different now, especially when Will looked at him like that- a gentle, worried, and determined look all rolled into one.

The bed dipped as Will took a seat by the edge, leaving a lot of space between them. Nico had the weird urge to demand he come closer, though his brain couldn’t process much more than a hum.

Will gave him a lopsided grin, which Nico found unfairly attractive. “Hey…”

“Hm?” Nico mumbled, finding his mouth as numb as his cheek. His throat was strangely dry, though he hadn’t had the thought to get up and grab something to soothe this nervous itch.

“Have you been up all night?” Will asked in his soothing voice, one which Nico has grown so accustomed to.

His eyes immediately drew down to the floor, not wanting to see the fallen look on Will’s face when he slowly nodded. It didn’t suit him, though it was a look Will wore a lot when he discovered another one of his many problems.

He hated it.

“Do you want to talk about it?” the gentle tone in Will’s voice was even more pronounced, wounding him like a knife to his heart. Nico hated that tone, solely because he knew Will was worried beyond belief.

He hated making Will worry.

A shake of his head was all he managed, though he slowly reached for the hand Will had set on the bed. He could feel the prick of tears in his eyes, though the contact was like a grounding force for Nico.

Will seemed to get the memo, as they just sat there in silence for a few minutes. He considered asking Will to come closer, but Nico couldn’t find it in him to voice his thoughts.

A few minutes in, Will suddenly perked up. Nico blinked as Will squeezed at their joint hands, though he couldn’t bring himself to look up at Will. He didn’t want to see more of Will’s worried face.

Though that thought was quickly trampled when a few fingers slid under his chin, coaxing his gaze from the floor to meet Will’s captivating blue eyes.

“I’ll be right back.” Will said, an apologetic look marring his features. “Is that okay?”

Nico forced himself to nod, pushing back the blush forming on his cheeks as Will winked at him. With another squeeze to Nico’s hand, Will slowly let go and disappeared into the bright morning.

He hated how lonely it suddenly felt. He’d been on his own for years, but one little bad morning and he was suddenly yearning for some company? Not just any company, but Will’s.

The thought may have irritated him before, but now, he simply wished he was wrapped up in Will’s warm touch, soothed and smothered in that annoying way he had become used to.

It felt like an eternity before Will finally came back, his cheeks a little rosy and smile a little strained. He hadn’t heard anything outside, but something must have happened for Will to suddenly look so disheveled.

He closed the door, a hand hidden behind him as he walked in.

Nico only poked at his sheets.

Will sat closer this time, up by the headboard beside Nico. They weren’t quite touching, though Nico could practically feel the heat radiating off of Will’s body.

“I know you don’t want to talk about it right now,” Will began, “and that’s ok. Things like this take time, sunshine.”

Nico nuzzled his cheek into his knee once again, trying to form an appropriate response to where this suddenly looked like it was heading to. Even if it was to tell him off over the horrible nickname Will had taken to calling him, Nico didn’t have enough time to think before Will was talking once more.

“I’m here for you, Nico. You’re not alone.” Will took his hand, gently raising it and pressing a kiss to his knuckles. Nico flushed, burying his face into his arms as Will’s chuckles filled the air. Nico spent a few moments calming his cheeks, and when he finally lifted his head, Will was sheepishly smiling at him.

That’s when Nico realized he’d still been holding his hand behind himself, hiding something in his grasp.

Will must have noticed his curiosity as he slowly drawled out a hesitant sigh. “…I know I can’t make those nightmares go away. As much as I would like to, it’s something that takes time and patience to acknowledge the problem and figure out a solution to it.”

Nico nodded, a faint shock running up his spine as he realized they were still holding hands.

Will smiled. “But I brought you something…”

Nico watched as he pulled his hand from behind his back, blinking at the yellow object.

It was a sun, a plush sun with rays sticking out of the circular base and a permanent smile etched into it. It’s eyes two plain circular dots and smile wide and exaggerated, reminding him of Will’s own smile.

He slowly took it into his hands, immediately melting at how soft and oddly warm it was in his fingertips.

Nico would have been repulsed by the thought of someone gifting him something even a few months ago, but now, looking at the little gift in his hands, Nico could only be reminded of how much he had come to admire a certain son of Apollo.

“…it took a while, and this wasn’t how I planned on gifting it to you, but I figured you'd need something happy right now.”

Nico must have been staring at it for long, because Will was immediately set on edge. “I’m sorry, you don’t have to take it. It was just something stupid I made in arts and crafts, and it isn’t even the best, but—”

Will cut himself off when Nico turned to hug him, wrapping his arms around Will’s neck and pressing himself close. He didn’t know where this sudden burst of confidence came from, but Nico could only thank the gods for it as Will slowly wrapped his arms around Nico’s waist.

“Thank you.” Nico mumbled, choosing to ignore the part of his brain that screamed at the sudden contact.

He made eye contact with the plushie, looking it over and admiring the gift once again.

It made him _giddy,_ like a rush of contentment filling his lungs and soothing his tense muscles. Like a newfound feeling chasing away his previous fears and filling him with a copious amount of warmth.

Really, he couldn’t suppress the big smile that splayed against his lips even if he tried.

* * *

_first time making him smile_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got the plushie idea from [Booklover2020](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Booklover2020/pseuds/Booklover2020) in [this](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24465391) fic. I absolutely adore it and for sure will be making a comeback in other chapters.
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> P.S: I know I've had Nico smile in some of the previous chapters, but they were always small and shy. I'd like to think this was the first one that made his cheeks ache and was just generally big and genuine. 
> 
> _Posted: June 7, 2020._


	6. going public

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much to say, so enjoy the fic!

_vi._

“So…” Kayla swung her feet, batting her eyelashes in what she claimed was a completely innocent manner. Will never thought that was the case, seeing as she only ever used that move when she wanted something he would definitely disapprove of.

Will paid her no mind, focusing on lining up the shot in his sights. He barely heard her when she cheerfully asked: _What’s going on with you and Nico?_

It was startling, to say the least. He was so caught off guard that the arrow settled between his fingers slipped, flying through the air and barely catching the rim of the target.

He sighed, putting his bow down and shooting Kayla a half-hearted glare.

She only smiled back, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Austin slid in beside her, wiggling his eyebrow as he blindly shot off an arrow.

Will frowned when it landed just a few inches away from the center.

They were the only three in the archery field, as well as the only ones up and awake in the entire camp. They were also the only remaining children of Apollo, which made them the only campers who regulated the archery field.

It was the perfect opportunity for his siblings to act on their assault, something they’ve definitely taken advantage of before.

Will realized he was cornered, between Kayla’s insisting smile and Austin’s teasing look, he didn’t have any wiggle room left for the upcoming conversation. He couldn’t even think about escaping, seeing as they share a cabin, table, and pretty much everything in their day-to-day lives.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about…” He grumbled, reaching for the quiver on his back. He picked an arrow, settling it on his fingers and drawing the bowstring back.

He thought for a second, focusing on the direction of the wind and the positioning of his feet. Once he _thought_ he was set and aimed at the center circle, Will let the arrow go.

It landed… somewhere.

Will dropped his stance, frowning at the ground as he sulked over _another_ missed target.

He moved away from the distance marker, heading over to the storage unit Kayla and Austin currently occupied. He let his bow fall along the way, though he didn’t even glance back as it rattled on the ground behind him.

“Um,” Austin called from his side of the unit, slinging his bow over his head and onto his shoulders, “you alright there?”

“Perfectly fine.” Will leaned back, resting his elbows on the space behind him. Sometimes he didn’t know why he bothered with archery- his skills weren’t the best by a long shot. Especially for a child of Apollo.

He did want to try and improve, though. It wasn’t ideal to be completely useless in a battlefield, and considering his position as counselor for the Apollo cabin, Will knew he had to at least learn how to properly shoot a single arrow.

It was just kind of hard to keep up the enthusiasm when his siblings didn’t even have to look to shoot an almost perfect shot…

“We’ll get back to _that_ later.” Kayla fixed him with a pointed look, though the mischief in her voice shone through. “But first, Nico di Angelo.”

Will raised a brow, looking up at his smiling siblings. It might have been scary, had Will not known about the onslaught of teasing coming his way.

He could have just gone back to practicing and ignored their antics, though he had a feeling it would be more damaging for him to do that. Besides, he knew this conversation was going to come up sooner or later, though it didn’t mean he was eager to talk about his love life. Especially without Nico there to say it was okay.

Either way, they couldn’t hide it forever. They spent a lot of time together, plus, Will was pretty sure there was a betting pool going around camp.

So, Will decided to play dumb. “Yes?”

Kayla rolled her eyes, smacking him on the shoulder. He winced, rubbing at the spot where her palm met his skin.

For a person who couldn’t care less about hand-to-hand combat, she sure had a mean hook.

“Gods, don’t hold back next time…”

“Dude, we love you and all, but if you don’t start answering some questions, Kayla might just explode.” Austin pointed out, an amused smile playing at his lips.

Will deflated, recognizing the signs of a losing battle before it even began. Still, he tried once more. “I honestly don’t know what you guys—"

“Don’t think for even a moment we haven’t noticed the hand holding!” Kayla snapped, her eyes burning with pure intensity. “Or the little smiles you two share whenever you think nobody’s looking!”

“Or the lovey-dovey looks you give him.” Austin shuddered. “I almost walked in on you two the other day, when you were _supposed_ to be doing the paperwork I didn’t want to do.”

“…I got it done.”

“After Nico left.” He crossed his arms. “Honestly, you are so whipped.”

Kayla smiled again, her previous outburst replaced with a happy twinkle in her eyes. “So, does our favorite big bro have a boyfriend?”

“I’m your only big bro.” Will tried once more, though he knew it was fruitless. They wouldn’t hear of anything except the complete and utter truth.

“We will throttle you.”

Will sighed, moving his gaze towards the ground. He kicked at a rock, silently praying Nico wouldn’t be too upset over being found out.

They decided it was best to keep their relationship private, at least for a little while. Will didn’t want to pressure Nico into anything he wasn’t comfortable with, hence the slight secrecy to their interactions.

They _did_ hold hands and such, though their contact was kept hidden in the eyes of the public. Whenever Nico needed a grounding hand or became stubborn with this or that, Will gently brushed his fingers over Nico’s knuckles or whispers something sweet by his ear, which never failed to make Nico flush and release his tense muscles.

It wasn’t like he didn’t want to flaunt his adorable boyfriend to the entirety of Mount Olympus, though Nico just needed a bit of time to settle with their new relationship.

It had also been a few days since they made it official, though Will doubts that’s enough time to grow completely comfortable with something so revealing, especially given the time Nico had grown up in.

Will, deflated and all, settled for the truth. “…I don’t want to say anything without Nico here.”

The two looked at each other, then back at Will. It was Austin who broke their slightly awkward silence. “You realize you just gave us an answer, right?”

“Yes.” Will mumbled. “And I trust you two won’t—”

“Hey, Nico!” Kayla perked up, waving in the direction of the archery field’s entrance. To say that Will didn’t panic would have been an understatement, though he mentally patted himself on the back over not immediately diving behind a target or something.

Nico strolled in, looking as adorable as ever with his confused frown and awkward wave. He obviously just rolled out of bed, his hair sticking out in a rather flattering bedhead and eyes struggling to be kept open.

Will learned pretty quickly that Nico was not a morning person.

“Hi…?” Nico said, his voice soft and angelic to the ear. At least, to Will’s ear- he’d always had the urge to smoother a sleepy Nico in a bunch of hugs and kisses, though it wouldn’t do him any good in the current situation. “Chiron wanted me to get you guys.”

“Is something wrong?” Austin stood, reaching for the bow on his back.

Nico shook his head, their eyes meeting for just a second.

It felt like a second, seeing as Nico immediately looked away, the beginnings of a blush appearing on his cheeks. “No, uh, you guys just didn’t show up for breakfast.”

There was a moment where they all grew silent as all three of them looked towards the sky. They could tell the time of day according to the positioning of the sun, something every child of Apollo inherited. It was, in fact, near the end of breakfast.

_"Di immortales!”_ Kayla groaned, smacking Will on the shoulder again. “He’s right! We nearly missed breakfast because of you!”

“Me?” Will looked at her with wide eyes. “You’re the one that’s being nosy!”

Kayla slid off the unit, sticking her tongue out and walking towards the entrance. “Thanks for the heads up, Nico!” She called, completely ignoring Will.

Austin motioned towards her, uttering a _got to go_ before following in her footsteps. He didn’t miss either of their winks as they strolled out of sight.

It was just the two of them now, with Nico bending down to retrieve the bow still on the ground. Will took it, offering him a grateful smile before he sheepishly turned away from his boyfriend.

“Sorry about them.”

Nico shrugged, moving to stand beside Will. “What was that all about?”

Will wanted to wrap an arm around Nico’s waist, though he refrained. Considering what he was about to tell him, it probably wasn’t the smartest idea to initiate something so intimate. “They kind of… figured it out.”

Nico tensed, though it wasn’t nearly half as bad as he expected. Before he could apologize again and promise to threaten them into silence, Nico relaxed. “Oh.”

_“Oh?”_ Will repeated, more than confused at Nico’s response.

“I mean,” Nico began, leaning his head on Will’s shoulder, “we haven’t really been too secretive in the first place.”

Looking back at it, they sure weren’t as hidden as they had first intended to be. They did spend a lot of time together, and half of their more intimate moments have been out in the open where anybody could walk in on them, as Austin mentioned beforehand.

He hadn’t thought Nico would be so calm about this, which kind of put him on edge. Either way, he stayed calm and turned to face Nico. “So, you’re okay with this?”

Nico nodded. “It’s…It’s not so different. We’ll just have to deal with some annoying people, but I… want this.”

Will felt the brush of his fingers against his own knuckles, which left Will practically beaming. He took Nico’s hand in his and pulled him over to where his siblings had disappeared to. “Then come on! I’m pretty sure you just woke up, so we have to get some food into you too.”

_“Will!”_

Things went surprisingly smooth after that.

It took two days for the news to spread around camp, which was longer than either of them had expected. They weren’t secretive in the first place, especially now that they stopped denying the teasing remarks everyone threw their way.

* * *

_first time going public_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love the Apollo siblings and for sure they will be showing up quite a few times >.<
> 
> _Posted: June 9, 2020._


	7. stealing his clothes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We got to 1K hits and 100+ kudos! I'm glad everyone is enjoying this series of one-shots, and thanks again for the love!!
> 
> Enjoy~

_vii._

Nico thought he’d seen the last of that _awful_ Camp Half-Blood t-shirt as soon as summer drew to a close, but as it turns out, that exact design was available in a multitude of horrid clothing pieces.

The same blinding orange Nico would never be caught dead in was etched into nearly all of the warmer clothes from the camp’s gift shop, like the thing Will was currently wearing.

Really, he’d gone from obnoxious t-shirts to obnoxious sweatshirts.

Still, the nights were drawing cooler and Nico hadn’t gotten around to replacing the torn aviator jacket he desperately missed. It was nice when his cabin was cool during the summer, though now with the weather outdoors matching its cool interior, Nico was beginning to regret not picking up any warmer clothes.

Sure, the Aphrodite cabin _did_ splurge around and put together a wardrobe for him while he was bed written, though he didn’t have any say in it. Piper had mentioned it during one of her visits to the infirmary, though she darted around the topic, much to Nico’s annoyance.

He’d later discovered that most of the repulsive items were picked by none other than Valentina Diaz, the only remaining child of Aphrodite for the year.

As much as Nico would like to question her on her choices, he refused to say anything about his disdain for the clothes, lest Valentina drags him out on a trip for more.

“Nico?”

Nico hummed, though he knew what was about to come out of Will Solace’s mouth before he even said it.

“Don’t you think it’s a little chilly out?”

Nico shrugged, willing himself to stop shivering. He didn’t have to peek over to know the look Will was giving him, one of clear dissatisfaction.

They weren’t doing anything in particular, just walking along the camp border hand-in-hand. Nico was still getting used to the open displays of affection, though he had a suspicion Will liked doing things like this more than he let on.

He would have complained, but Nico couldn’t bring himself to squish that light in Will’s eyes whenever he didn’t reject the advances.

Plus, it _is_ kind of nice…

Will had stopped walking, which Nico only noticed when he began pulling on their linked hands. He frowned, turning to meet Will’s own pointed look.

“You’re shivering.” He said, his eyes following down Nico’s body.

Nico flushed and immediately huffed, slipping his hand from Will’s in order to cross his arms. “Am not.”

There was a moment where they stood in silence, though Nico didn’t expect to feel Will’s comfortable heat seep into his personal bubble.

Nico immediately melted into the warmth, sighing as the nips of cold to his skin nearly disappeared altogether. He even let himself lean back, relaxing into the quiet atmosphere that settled between them.

He’d noticed it before, but Will was very much like a furnace.

“My mistake,” Will whispered very close to his ear, his breath tickling his skin, “you _were_ shivering, but now you’re just mooching off of my body heat.”

Nico immediately snapped his eyes open, squirming out of Will’s hold as his bouts of laughter rang through the air.

He almost missed the warmth and weight Will brought with him. Almost.

“You’re impossible.” Nico tried to sound annoyed, though he couldn’t help the twitch that came to the corner of his lips.

“You know, there are these things with long sleeves.” Will began, shaking around his arm and pointing to the material. “People usually wear them when it’s cold outside.”

Nico glared.

“My cabin is colder than this.” He huffed, hoping to move on from the topic of conversation. He was _fine,_ most definitely _not_ in need of Will’s teasing. Nico marched on, ignoring the biting chills running up and down his arms.

Unfortunately, Will fell into step beside him. “Yet you’re shivering out here.”

“I’m fine.”

There was a moment where Nico thought Will would let the topic go, though instead, he felt the world shift upside down. It took him a moment to realize what just happened, but when he did, Nico was _not_ happy.

_“Will!”_ He was now thrown over Will’s shoulder, his limbs dangling and head spinning. Will carried him much like a sack of potatoes, with a single grip on the back of his knees. He tried to wiggle away, though Will’s hold on him was irritatingly strong.

He beat his fists on Will’s back, though it didn’t seem to have any effect. Will simply started humming as he walked, completely ignoring Nico’s thrashing.

When it was apparent Will wouldn’t let him down, Nico gave up on his struggling. At least he could hide the furious blush on his cheeks and revel in Will’s warmth in this position.

“…Where are we going?” Nico grumbled out, watching as the grass swayed with every step.

“To your cabin.” Nico felt the rumble of his words under his stomach, vaguely aware of the muscles shifting every time Will so much as breathed. “We’re going to get you into something weather appropriate. You know, like a sweater and all that.”

“I don’t have any.” He spat out, desperately trying to seem intimidating.

It all came crashing down when he has shifted again, this time to an upright position as his feet touched the ground. Nico willed himself to move away from Will, angry at the fact that it was harder than he would have liked.

Will had that look to his face, one that Nico came to associate with a strict _don’t even think about lying to me_. “You don’t have any?”

Nico shook his head.

“At all?”

Nico crossed his arms, once again shaking his head.

There was silence for a minute before Will started up again, a smile tugging at his lips. “Well, there’s some more of these in the camp shop—”

“No.”

“Nico—”

“I will _not_ put that on.”

Will looked offended now, though the hint of amusement was clearly evident on his face. “And why is that?”

Nico frowned. “Just _look_ at it.”

Will did, glancing down at himself before meeting Nico’s eyes. Nico was sure their back and forth was over, though Will just took the hem of the sweater and began to pull it up.

Nico squeaked, turning away as Will’s shirt rose with the sweater. He had just managed to calm his racing pulse when something soft was thrown over his head, blinding him from the outside world.

He didn’t appreciate the orange hue blinding him.

“Hey!” He struggled to get it off, flailing his arms here and there before they were caught in Will’s hold.

“Relax.” Will said, guiding his arms through the armholes. Once both were done, Will pulled the sweater down, allowing the head hole to slip through and rest against his neck.

Well, halfway off his shoulder.

The whole thing was way too big for him, falling past his hips and down to his thighs. Even the sleeves were much too long, falling over his fingertips and enveloping his hands behind the, admittedly, warm fabric.

Nico blinked, hating himself from taking comfort in the smell that he could only describe as _Will_.

He looked up, finding Will staring at him with an odd look in his eyes. Before he could ponder over the look, his brain took notice of Will’s now bare arms.

He definitely did not pout as he mumbled. “You know, there are these things called sleeves.”

Will rolled his eyes, a playful grin overtaking his features. “No worries, I’ll go get a new one in a bit. A certain someone stole my current sweater.”

“You bullied me into it!”

“And I’m glad I did, because you look incredibly adorable in it.” Will poked his nose.

Nico huffed, ignoring the cooing sounds Will made and evading his attempts to either poke or pinch at his cheeks.

Will did not end up grabbing another sweater. Instead, they spent the rest of the day away from other campers. When night came, Will didn’t say anything about Nico slipping into his cabin with his piece of clothing.

Nico was surprisingly fond of the horrid orange sweater, and if he pretended to misplace it when morning came, well, nobody had to know…

* * *

_first time stealing his clothes_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You might have noticed by now, but I love the tiny and innocent Nico trope. Basically all the couples I adore have this type of dynamic, sorry not sorry... :)
> 
> _Posted: June 13, 2020._


	8. meeting his friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly longer chapter, featuring my attempt at intimidation and a sprinkle of comedy!
> 
> E n j o y :)

_viii._

“Nico!” An arm slung around his shoulder, followed by the press of someone’s body against his side. “How are you doing this fine evening?”

A huff came from somewhere behind them. “Cecil, this is _not_ what we discussed.”

Nico looked up from his shoes, finding none other than Cecil Markowitz with a rather confused expression on his face. If he recalled correctly, that wasn’t a new look for the son of Hermes.

He shrugged Cecil’s arm off, moving to at least put some distance between them when another figure sat beside Nico, squishing him in between the two.

“Really? I wasn’t listening.”

“You don’t listen to a lot of things.”

“That’s not even remotely close to the truth.”

“That’s not the point—” The new voice, a girl, let out an exasperated sigh.

Nico recognized her, the short dark hair and eerie green eyes sparking a wave of familiarity down his spine. Her name was Lou Ellen Blackstone, daughter of Hecate, though as troublesome as any child of Hermes.

Glancing between the two, he remembered their first meeting now- the botched stealth mission on Half-Blood Hill playing through his mind.

They were the other two who had joined Will on his mission to scope out the area, with their poorly thought out disguises and shifty smiles. Nico remembered almost decapitating Will and the proceeding argument they got into while both Cecil and Lou Ellen whipped their heads back and forth.

He’d thought Will simply got paired with them for that one mission, though he quickly learned that the three were good friends.

Even now, Will had mentioned them a couple of times. Nico even walked into a few of their conversations, though the two skirted away before Nico could offer to come back later. He’d been a bit paranoid at first, believing they were afraid of him or even wary to be around him, though Will just told him they were idiots.

Sticking around camp was definitely what gave Nico the impression Will insisted on. Cecil and Lou Ellen were as bad as the Stolls, if given the chance.

Nico cleared his throat, effectively cutting off their bickering. They were staring at him now, sitting much too close for comfort. “Um…?”

That seemed to spark them from their silence, which prompted Cecil to straighten out his back and radiate an air of confidence. “Right, we’re here for a reason.”

Lou Ellen nodded, clasping her hands together and shooting him a wicked grin. They both leaned in, which made Nico a little antsy.

Despite his best efforts, socializing with people was still something of a sore subject for him. Nico could admit that it was easier with Will, but really, everything was easier with Will. And despite the numerous lectures Will had given him on how _yes, you have people here who want to be your friends,_ Nico wasn’t sold so much on the concept.

He was still careful around other campers, and while it did become slightly easier to interact with others, Nico had his doubts.

Still, the two pressed on, seemingly unaware of Nico and his discomfort.

“That reason being our dear friend, Will.”

The discomfort that had started bubbling in his stomach was now boiling, swirling around and creating a queasy sort of feeling.

He hadn’t talked about his… _relationship_ with anyone. As much as he’d like to consider letting Hazel and everyone else who wasn’t in camp know, communications were currently down.

Even if they weren’t, he was sure he wouldn’t have brought it up for a _long_ time…

“W-What about him?” Nico mentally berated himself for the stutter, feeling the telltale warmth on his cheeks begin to grow with each passing second.

“Well,” Lou Ellen grinned, “you two are dating, am I correct?”

Nico timidly nodded, ducking his head in order to hide his, no doubt, pink cheeks.

“And we’re kind of Will’s best friends, so that gives us the obligatory task of checking in. You know, see how things are going…” Cecil drawled out, now perching his elbow on Nico’s shoulder.

Nico would have brushed him away, though Cecil’s words left him more confused than anything.

Lou Ellen laughed, though it took him a moment to register that she wasn’t laughing _at_ him, more like a response to the current situation they were in. “You guys have been dating for over a week,” she wiggled her brow, “as far as we know. We’d just like to make sure everything is fine and dandy.”

That cleared things up, if only a little. Nico still found it odd, but he nodded nonetheless. “Um, yeah. Everything is fine…”

They hummed, easing off of him for a bit. It was only a little shift, though various things happened at once.

First, as Lou Ellen shifted to cross her legs, the sky became dark and murky. The previous shinning sun was replaced with heavy gray clouds and a slightly chilly breeze. Two spheres appeared out of nowhere, Lou Ellen fiddling with one in her hand while the other resting against her thighs.

Then there was the sound of someone unsheathing a sword, which had Nico fumbling in his seat. He looked over to Cecil, who was now inspecting a dagger- which was a little odd, since Nico’s never really seen him carry around a weapon, let alone own a sheath for one. 

“Well, that’s good.” Lou Ellen hummed, turning the sphere in her hands.

Just then, both of them slipped into unusually serious looks. They leaned towards him again, with Cecil once again propping his elbow up on Nico’s shoulder and tipping the blade of the dagger a little too close to his cheek. Lou Ellen held out the ball, her hands glowing a faint purple.

Before he could question their sudden shift in mood, Cecil grunted. “You may be the son of one of the big three gods, and you may be able to summon zombies and armies of skeletons and send our souls into the Underworld and—”

“—Lots of other things we’re not going to get into at the moment.” Lou Ellen frowned at Cecil, though turned her gaze back to Nico with a cheeky grin. “But the point is, you may be as intimidating as they get, though if you break Will’s heart, you _are_ going regret it.”

Were they… threatening him?

Nico blinked, truly allowing himself to take in the malicious looks and sour environment. He hadn’t understood what they were doing for the past few minutes, but now, it dawned on him.

“Aw man,” a new voice joined in- this one Nico recognized as Austin, “we missed the whole thing.”

“Nah,” Austin stepped in front of them, followed by a grinning Kayla, “we can take it from here.”

They stepped closer, and Nico barely had time to register how trapped he was. He could roll backward and escape from there, though he had a feeling the four around of him wouldn’t let him go that easily.

Both Kayla and Austin looked as serious as he’d ever seen them, though their body language was stiff and rigid.

“Basically, Will’s our big bro, so if you hurt him in any way, shape, or form, we’ll make sure you’ll never forget it.” Austin practically read, with Kayla nodding along beside him.

Nico took a moment to process everyone’s words, spinning them around in his mind and trying to make sense of what had just happened.

They seemed like threats, though the way they were delivered was surprisingly short and to the point. They weren’t like any other threats he’d received before- these didn’t need to be annoyingly complicated to invoke intimidation.

It dawned on Nico why they were making such a big deal out of the relationship he shared with Will: they only wanted to ensure Will would be happy, which Nico could understand. None of the four of them were the type to casually hand out threats, which made the fact that they did so much more genuine.

Nico gazed down, fiddling with the ring on his fingers. He felt the blush crawling up his neck and only hoped it wasn’t evident as he willed himself to speak. “Don’t worry…” he mumbled, definitely feeling the blood pool on his cheeks, “If I ever hurt Will, I’d let you.”

There was a moment of silence after that, which made Nico worry he’d said the wrong thing. He was about to apologize when a collective sigh fell over the four of them.

The clouds dispersed at that moment, the slight breeze in the air disappearing as the sun bathed them in its gentle rays.

Nico felt everyone relax, their straight and intimidating postures slouching down into something more natural. The balls in Lou Ellen’s grasps faded away, leaving behind a puff of smoke. Cecil had now removed his arm from Nico’s shoulder, putting the dagger he had been swinging around back in its sheath.

Austin and Kayla did wear quivers and bows on their backs, though they hadn’t taken them out to seemingly intimidate Nico with them. Instead, they dropped their frowns and crossed arms.

“Thank the gods…” Lou Ellen sighed, leaning back on her arms.

“That was easier than I thought it’d be.” Kayla mussed.

Austin scoffed, fiddling with the strap across his chest and making a face of disappointment. “Honestly, it would have been better if we had a shovel.”

“I was going to bring one,” Cecil chirped, “but Lou Ellen made me put it back.”

“It would have been a terrible idea.”

“Actually, I would have liked to have one.”

“What would you even do with it—"

Nico bounced back and forth between the four. If he hadn’t seen crazier and bigger things, Nico could have sworn he would have gotten whiplash at their sudden change in topic.

The dismissal of everything from the past few minutes left a bitter taste in Nico’s mouth, making that antsy feeling from before grow into something nearly unbearable.

He didn’t know where it came from, but he had the sudden urge to gain their approval.

Plus, he was more than confused at the talk of a _shovel_.

“W-What? A shovel?” Nico fumbled, thinking of ways to phrase his next question. “But does this mean you guys, um… approve…”

Nico focused on his ring, the next few words dying on his tongue before he could shove them out. He felt _sick,_ like his heart had been dropped into a bottomless pit and his body thrown into a giant freezer.

It was like the thing with Jason all those months ago, admitting his crush on Percy and being so afraid of facing the judgment that never came. Still, it didn’t mean it wasn’t out there. What if…

_No. Go away._

These people are all important to Will, and if they didn’t approve of him, then… Nico wasn’t sure what he’d do.

They all blinked at him, though quickly fixed him with warm smiles.

“It was a missed opportunity with the shovel, but look, I wouldn’t know what it’s like to want to… kiss Will…” Cecil trailed off, seemingly recognizing how _bad_ of a statement that was. Nico himself was blushing furiously, though the others simply groaned and made noises of displeasure.

“Okay, you’re done talking.” Lou Ellen frowned, which was met by a _Right_ from Cecil.

Kayla cleared her throat. “What Cecil meant to say was that, while we don’t understand your attraction to Will,” she crinkled her nose, “for obvious reasons, we’re happy you two are together.”

“Especially since Will’s had the _biggest_ crush on you since—” Lou Ellen reached behind him, smacking Cecil upside the head.

“This is why we don’t bring you to important things.” They all nodded, which only resulted in a cheeky smile from Cecil. Lou Ellen rolled her eyes, turning to address Nico. “We’re just making sure you know what’ll happen if you ever hurt Will’s feelings.”

“You know, the stereotypical _you hurt him we’ll hurt you_ thing.” Austin chimed in. “To be fair, me and Kayla were going to do this later on, but we overheard and wanted to but in.”

“Killed two birds with one stone.” Kayla smiled. “Anyways, We _are_ happy you and Will finally got together. You’re so cute together.”

Nico really felt like his face was on fire, though he supposed it was better than being doused with ice water.

“Oh,” Kayla started up again, “we were also going to go practice some archery before we ran into this. You guys want to come?”

Lou Ellen shrugged. “Why not.”

“I’ll bring the apples!” Cecil stood, practically bouncing in his shoes.

With that, the two on either side of him flew by. Nico was left on his own, fully expecting Austin and Kayla to trail after the troublemakers. Instead, they stood there, staring at him.

“That includes you, Nico.” Kayla rolled on the balls of her feet, shifting from side to side.

“Me?”

“Why not?” Austin grinned. “Will doesn’t get off his shift for another two hours, so why not hang out with the cooler Apollo kids in the meantime.”

Nico couldn’t wrap his head around _why_ they’d want him around, but he remembered Will’s words, as clear and angry as ever.

_You pushed yourself away._

He bit his lip, catching the sights of Cecil with a bag of apples on his back and a bow in his hands. Lou Ellen chased after him, waving around an arrow and yelling obscenities after him.

_Well, it could be fun…_

He looked back to Kayla and Austin, feeling the twinge of a smile tugging at his lips. “Okay.”

* * *

_first time meeting his friends_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nico is my favorite character in all the PJ series, but people forget that he is very insecure (and lots of other things you will surely see later on). 
> 
> And yes, I plan to do another shovel talk chapter for our sunshine boy.
> 
> _Posted: June 17, 2020._


	9. asking him out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve just discovered that Hidden Oracle takes place in January, which isn’t too far from my guess of December. That just means we’ll get some Christmas chapters! As of right now, the kiddos are around the end of September.
> 
> Enjoy this slightly longer chapter again! The next few might be just as long, so stay tuned!

_ix._

Nico felt happy, which was something he hadn’t felt in a long time.

Will was teaching him how to address a burn on one feisty Sherman Yang, who was cursing and pulling his arm away at every dab to his wound.

Despite the constant flow of profanities Sherman brought with him, Nico was glad he had a live subject to learn from. The visuals were what he appreciated the most, being able to see Will work as he explained what he was doing was what made the information _stick._

He’d been more than a little worried over joining the infirmary staff- at least, as a trainee- though Nico was slowly assured that his parentage didn’t define him and definitely did _not_ make him undesirable.

Nico was still learning to accept those two points, but after that long conversation, Nico had been accepted as a volunteer in the camp’s infirmary.

Well, at Will’s insistence.

“…and you’ll apply it after you’ve cleaned the burn.” Will rambled on, scooping up a bit of salve and slathering it on Sherman’s red arm.

“Gods…” Sherman hissed, biting back a few more crude words Nico surely wouldn’t have understood. “Do I need to be your test subject?”

“Nico’s got to learn somehow,” Will said, his focus entirely on the wound before him.

Nico admired how careful Will was, his fingers moving gently over the burn and applying just the right amount of pressure as he spread the salve over Sherman’s red skin.

He’s felt that gentleness on his own body- and even when Will was angrily undoing the poorly done stitches Nico had neglected to mention, he was still so gentle…

“What’s with that, di Angelo?”

“Hm?” Nico looked up from Will’s patient movements to the weird look Sherman was giving him.

“Playing nurse for your boyf—” Sherman suddenly cursed, glaring over at Will.

Will was still focused on placing the salve on the burn, though Nico could see the tiny hint of amusement in his eyes.

A minute late, Will pulled away, uttering a _be right back_ before standing from his little stool.

It was the end of September now, which meant no more cut off shorts and flip flops for Will. Nico at least appreciated the slightly more suitable infirmary outfit, though he wasn’t sure if jeans and sneakers were any better.

“Now we have to bandage the burn,” Will said once he’d returned, hands clean and eyes calculating. He reached for a box of bandages by the supply stand beside the cot, waving it out before him.

Nico leaned over, mentally taking note of the packaging. _“Sterilized Gauze Roll?”_

“Yep.” Will unpacked the box, taking a white roll from inside. “They’re bandages, just specifically made to resist bacteria.”

Nico watched as Will took the end, unrolling it a few inches before gently moving back to Sherman’s arm. “It’s important to make sure they aren’t fluffy cotton, or else it’ll irritate the burn. It still runs the risk even with these, but it’s less likely if you wrap it right.”

Once he hooked the bandage low on Sherman’s arm, Will slowly moved up to the wound. “You want to wrap it loosely around the burn in order to keep the pressure off of it, but not so much that it doesn’t properly protect the exposed flesh.”

Nico nodded, patiently waiting as Will finished up the whole area. It was entrancing, watching the way Will brought the bandage up and over repeatedly, commenting on how to securely fasten it without causing the patient discomfort. He watched as Will cut the bandage, moving even closer to see how Will tucked it into itself.

“The pattern might get a little confusing at first, but it becomes easier as you go.” Will smiled at him, making his cheeks flush.

“Get a room, you two.” Sherman rolled his eyes, moving to get up from the bed. Will immediately grasped his shoulder, pushing him back to sit on the cot.

“Not so fast,” Will muttered. “You’re probably in a lot of pain, and I don’t really trust you to not strain the skin, so—”

“You don’t expect me to stay here, do you?” Sherman frowned, swatting Will’s hand away.

“Knowing him, you’ll probably get a full day’s stay and no physical activities for a week,” Nico mumbled, feeling a slight twinge of amusement at the glare Will shot him.

“No,” Will said, pointedly ignoring Nico, “I just need to make sure you know not to pick at the bandages. If they get dirty or wet, come back so I, or anyone else, can replace them. Your burn isn’t the worst, so it should be healed in about three days. Other than that, you’re free to go.”

“Finally,” Sherman grunted, shifting off the bed and strolling away from them.

Nico gaped at that, watching as Sherman walked straight out the doors.

He frowned at Will, who was now busy changing the bedsheets. Once he met Nico’s gaze, he immediately froze. “What?”

“He walked right out!”

“Yes, I’m aware of that.”

Nico scowled. “Why did you have me locked in here for three days, then!”

“Nico, you were melting into the shadows. Sherman got a first-degree burn. Besides, he’s an Ares kid, I can’t keep him from doing something stupid even if I tried.”

“You didn’t even lecture him.” Nico pouted.

“I’m sure Miranda will do that for me.” Will grinned. “They’ve been getting pretty close these past few months, if you haven’t noticed.”

Nico blushed. He thought it was just something his mind had conjured up.

Apparently not.

“I wouldn’t know.”

“Of course not,” Will pinched his cheek, “you’re too busy wandering around in that brooding head of yours.”

Slapping his hands away, Nico moved to sit on the cot. He stuck his tongue out when Will tried to place the new sheets on, though Nico just ended up with a white sheet thrown over his head.

Will laughed, bringing his arms behind his head and stretching out his entire body. “I think that’s about it for today.”

“Already?” Nico asked, which earned him a wide-eyed look from Will. “What?”

“I just didn’t expect you to be so into learning.”

Nico blushed, crossing his arms and looking off to the side. “It’s been a slow weekend, that’s all.”

Will hummed, letting the conversation go as he moved to clean up his station. Nico liked to watch Will clean, mostly because he didn’t like doing it himself, but partly because he just liked watching Will.

He was glad the infirmary was empty, or else he’d surely be called out on watching the way Will’s tongue darted out in his moments of concentration, or the way his hair bounced with every move, or-

“Hey.”

_Oh gods-_ Will was standing in front of him now, caging him to the cot with one arm on either side of his thighs. It was… intimidating.

Nico didn’t trust his voice not to make some embarrassing noise, settling for a simple, “Hm?”

Will suddenly looked sheepish; a look Nico’s never really seen on his face. He looked cute. “Do you want to… go on a date?”

Nico blinked. “A date?”

“I know we practically spend every day together, but how about… a proper date. No cleaning up wounds or shouts from the distance. I’ll pick you up from your cabin, we can go somewhere secluded and just do something fun under tonight’s sky—"

“T-Tonight?” Nico squeaked. Sure, he’d heard of people going on dates, but he’d never thought he’d be one of the ones to go on them. _Especially_ so suddenly.

Will bit his lip. “I’ve had an idea for a while now, and I figured you’d want something to do since you’ve mentioned it’s been a slow weekend. We could do it any other day, really—"

“No!” Nico blurted, embarrassment crawling up his neck. “I mean… tonight sounds good.”

Will suddenly smiled, his own cheeks dusted a light pink. Nico _really_ wanted to lean just a bit closer to that familiar smile, but Will had pulled away before Nico even realized it.

“Great!” Will poked his nose, leaning back from Nico’s swat. “How does right around dinner sound? I’ll make sure to pack everything we need.”

Nico furrowed his brow, already imagining the large serving Will would expect him to eat. Though, dinner wasn’t until about four hours from then, which would hopefully be enough to stir up even a little bit of an appetite. “That sounds fine.”

“It’s a date, then.” Will’s smile was so bright, it almost made Nico smile in return. “Well, I’ve got to go. Got some setting up I have to do.”

“W-Wait!” Nico called after him, frowning as Will bumped into multiple things on his way out. “What are we doing!?”

“It’s a surprise!” Will called from over his shoulder, disappearing behind the wooden doors.

Nico sighed, sliding off the cot and smiling after the trail of destruction his boyfriend left behind. While Will was out doing whatever it was he said he needed to do, Nico might as well tidy up the infirmary a bit.

Nico spent the rest of his time lounging around camp. He had gotten the infirmary to look presentable rather quickly, which left him free for the rest of the day.

He’d gone to the arena, engaging in a quick spar with Elis Wakefield. Nico called it off after a few rounds, picturing what Will would say if he landed himself in the infirmary before their date even begun.

They joined Sherman and Miranda on the side bench, who had been there the entire time. Will was right, Miranda outright refused to let Sherman do so much as lift a sword, though considering the sly smile on her face, she was purposefully keeping him from doing anything dangerous.

It was a little restrained with the daughter of Demeter around, considering the feud going on with her mother and his father, plus the little mishap earlier that week where Nico accidentally caused the garden around the Demeter cabin to wilt and nearly die in the span of a few seconds, but they were working on it.

At least, he hoped so.

About an hour before dinner, Nico excused himself to go saunter over to his cabin. The least he could do was make himself presentable, seeing as he was all sweaty from his match with Elis.

A quick shower later, Nico only slightly panicked as the time drew closer to six p.m.

He bit the inside of his cheek, looking through the amounts of clothing he owned. Most of them were things Nico’d rather not put on, which only left him clueless in his wake to not look like a corpse.

_What was one supposed to wear on a date?_

And _oh_ , Nico’s mind began to reel at the thought of what he was about to partake in. A date- he’s heard of such things, either from Percy or Jason or even his father, but he’s never cared enough to pay attention to them.

After what seemed like hours, Nico decided on a nice and simple jeans and shirt combo, which was practically what he always wore. He’d have to mooch off Will’s body heat, considering all of his sweaters were a no go.

Soon enough, a knock on his door startled him out of his running thoughts.

Nico wasn’t sure why, but he quickly glanced at himself in the mirror before actually moving to get the door, quickly fixing his touseled hair and frowning at the dark rings under his eyes and sickly pale skin and-

_Not now._

When he finally got around to opening the door, Will was standing there, a big smile on his face and a light flush dusting his cheeks. He looked so… _perfect_ , which made Nico flush his own shade of pink.

“Hey.”

“Hi.” Nico greeted, hating the sudden shyness that overcame him. Maybe it was because they were about to properly go on a date, but Nico’s never felt so excited and nervous at the same time.

Will led him down the porch, babbling about this and that as he squeezed Nico’s hand. He was suddenly glad he kept it casual, his eyes roaming over Will’s sweater and jeans. They definitely were a pair of Will’s nicer clothes…

They suddenly stopped, with Will turning to stand in front of him. “Will—”

“Close your eyes.”

Nico blinked, glancing around them. They were at the edge of the canoe lake, so Nico was pretty sure he had an idea as to what Will had planned.

“But we’re right by the lake.” He pointed out, standing on the tips of his toes and trying to look over Will’s shoulder.

Will just tsked, grabbing his shoulders and pushing him back on his feet. “It’s a surprise.”

“It’s the canoe lake.” Nico frowned. “Where we keep all the canoes. I’m pretty sure—”

“Close your eyes.” Will interrupted, an encouraging smile playing on his lips. “Doctor’s orders.”

Nico rolled his eyes, though complied nonetheless. “You can’t just say that whenever you want something to go your way…”

“It works, doesn’t it?” Will teased, to which Nico slap him on the forearm. Will just laughed, leading Nico deeper into the path.

After a few minutes of navigating over things and trying not to fall over-

_Will!_

_Sorry, I swear that rock was_ not _there before._

-the soft crunch of sand under his feet told him they were at their destination. Will led them to a stop, gently releasing their hands. Nico suddenly felt cold.

“Okay, you can open your eyes now.”

Nico did, his eyelids fluttering as the setting sun on the horizon hit his entire face. Once he adjusted to the blinding light, Nico gasped.

He was right, they were at the foot of the docks lined with canoes. Though, one particular canoe was decorated with string lights over the entire of its rim. Two decorative cloths covered both the seats, giving the canoe a fancier look than its original simple wood.

Even from his position by the start of the dock, Nico could spot two fake candles flickering on top of the seats. In the middle sat a picnic basket with a neatly folded blanket and a single red rose to top it all off.

“It’s not much, but I tried to make it as perfect as possible. You said you were bored and you had this really sad look in your eyes when you said it. I swear, once I get permission to take you outside of camp, I’ll take you on the best date you’ll ever—”

Nico didn’t know what overcame him, but he tackled Will into a hug, his arms over wrapping around his neck and body pressed against Will’s.

_“È perfetto.”_ He whispered, too emotional to blush over the slip of Italian. “Thank you.”

_Yep,_ Nico thought, snuggling into the crook of Will’s neck, _definitely happy._

* * *

_first time asking him out_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, I do really like the idea of Sherman and Miranda, and I also like the idea of Nico bonding with the other campers, so expect them every now and then.
> 
> Also, the canoe idea is literally taken from The Hidden Oracle. I like to think they were on a date before the giant statue came and attacked camp. 
> 
> (I'm also very excited for the Tower of Nero, I can't wait to see what Uncle Rick has planned for them)
> 
> _Posted: June 21, 2020._


	10. breaking the rules

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're not quite there, but I'll just go ahead and thank everyone for 2k hits :v 
> 
> This chapter was a bit of a struggle for me, for some reason, but it's here! Enjoy!

_x._

Will didn’t mean to stare, though the sight of Nico pushing around the food on his plate made him itch to walk over there and feed the stubborn boy himself.

He _really_ didn’t want to be creepy and continue to stare at his boyfriend, but the seating arrangement in the dining pavilion made it too easy to look over at the Hades table. With a single lean to the side over his siblings’ shoulders, he had the perfect view of his little sunshine from across the pavilion.

It hurt his heart to see Nico so lonely, hunched over his plate and not even sparing a glance towards anybody else. With the school year now in tow, many tables were left with only one camper, but this was different…

He didn’t think Nico deserved to be alone anymore, given the many years he’s been all by himself. Four years, if he counted from the time he had first run away from camp.

Sure, Will didn’t know exactly what went on in the time he left and came back, only to leave again, though sometimes Nico slipped, and it _hurt_ his heart to brush aside the comments of homelessness or sadness.

Really, how could anyone look at that boy and be okay with what he’s been put through?

Nico took a bite out of his sandwich, though Will would barely call it a nibble. He’s spent more time looking at his plate than actively eating, poking around the contents and maybe taking a swig of his goblet.

One of the first things Will did when he escorted Nico to the infirmary was come up with a food plan (after taking care of the Lycaon scratches, taking his vitals, and making sure he felt as comfortable as possible).

It was safe to say Nico had not been sticking to it.

Nico, after taking one more bite of his food, stood. He picked up his plate, heading to the grand fire-pit in the middle of the pavilion.

Will stood from his seat, excusing himself from a startled Austin and Kayla. He’d come back, but first, he needed to talk to his little angel.

“Nico.” He smirked at the little squeak Nico let out. “What are you doing?”

Nico frowned up at him, though all he did was look like an angry kitten. “Sacrificing food to the gods?”

Will smiled then, gently guiding Nico back towards the Hades table. “You barely ate a fourth of your food, Neeks.”

Nico pouted. “I ate a lot.”

“Mhm.” Will hummed, ignoring Nico’s squirming and keeping him in line. He gestured for Nico to sit, though he only stood and frowned up at him. Will raised a brow, crossing his arms and fixing Nico with an unimpressed gaze.

He remembered when he first discovered the power of that pose, using it to coax Nico into even agreeing to stay in the infirmary in the first place.

Sure enough, Nico blushed and moved to sit back in his table.

After about two minutes with neither of them moving, Will sighed. He took a seat beside Nico, his back pressing into the table as Nico blinked down at his sandwich.

“Are you okay?”

Nico shrugged, turning to look at Will. “I, um… I just—”

Will watched as he cut himself off, still sheepishly staring at the food in front of him. Will took his hand, squeezing it and offering a reassuring smile. “Take your time, sweetheart.”

Nico breathed, “I _am_ hungry, I just… don’t have the appetite?”

He said it like a question, as if the thought made no sense to him. Will slowly nodded, his thoughts processing the statement Nico had shamefully admitted.

It made sense, considering how little Nico’s eaten for years on end. He wasn’t used to even a simple slice of sandwich, much less a full meal.

“It’s ok,” Will whispered, looking Nico straight in his alluringly dark eyes. “It’s common for people to get used to eating big meals again, especially after years of eating so little. You’re not broken or anything else you might be thinking.” He had to physically restrain himself from pressing a sweet kiss right on Nico’s pouty lips. “We’ll work on it, I promise.”

Nico nodded, his lips up turning into a little, breathtaking smile.

The moment came crashing down when a multitude of hooves came stomping through the air, stopping just in front of Will.

Will looked up, immediately straightening up as Chiron gazed at them with a stern look. “Will, is there a reason you are not at the Apollo table?”

He shook his head, letting go of Nico’s hand in favor of offering him a smile. “I was just heading back.”

Chiron nodded, strolling back to wherever he had come from.

He turned back to Nico, gesturing back to the sandwich. “Hey, do you think you can finish your sandwich? At least half of it?”

Nico hesitated, though eventually nodded. “Yeah. I can try”

“Okay,” Will brought his hand down on Nico’s shoulder, squeezing it, “I’m going to go now. See you after?”

Nico nodded, offering a short wave as Will backtracked back to his own table.

It was dinner time now, the whole camp settled down and enjoying the meals the wood nymphs had prepared.

Austin was going on about the new video he was planning on recording, something about a cover to something popular at the moment.

Will wasn’t really paying attention, looking off to the side towards Nico.

Much like at lunch, Nico was hunched over his plate, an indifferent look on his face as he picked at his food. He looked just as miserable as earlier, his hair falling over his eyes and his body curling in on itself.

Will couldn’t help but think of the image as devastatingly beautiful, which he probably shouldn’t have thought of.

He couldn’t help it, Nico was always beautiful.

Especially when he was controlling his element, despite the huge amount of power it drained. His mind drifted back to Manhattan, watching the way the army of the undead bent to Nico’s wishes. Even the picture of Hades, Persephone, and Demeter backing Nico up looked like it had been carved straight from the gods themselves.

Thinking back on it now, watching the way Nico’s father stood there, the very King of the Underworld, a shiver suddenly went down his spine. He was _not_ looking forward to the inevitable _meet the family_ dinner he’d have to sit through.

Speaking of terrifying…

A high pitched screech rang through the air, cutting off all conversation in the pavilion. Will’s never seen anyone jump into fighting stances so fast before, but that’s exactly what almost everyone did.

Though, once they all took in the source of the screech, the tension in the air visibly deflated.

Even Will’s muscles relaxed once his eyes landed on the half-dressed skeleton dragging itself against the ground. While it wasn’t a usual occurrence, even for Camp Half-Blood, it also wasn’t completely out of the spectrum. Everyone swerved their heads over, glancing at the Hades table.

Nico was sitting up, his eyes wide and focused solely on the skeleton on the ground.

Will would have lectured his boyfriend over the unnecessary use of his Underworldy powers until he realized Nico was just as confused as the rest of them.

“S-Sorry…” Nico said, watching as the skeleton slowly dragged itself over to him. “I’ll make him go away.”

Chiron nodded, telling everyone to resume their dinner as Nico fought with the skeleton. Will didn’t take his gaze away from the scene, watching the way Nico’s face quickly turned to one of annoyance.

“I didn’t call you!” Nico hissed, waving his hand around. “Go away!”

The skeleton paused, only to trudge along the remained of the way and sprawl itself on the opposite seat from Nico.

Nico groaned, burying his head in his arms.

Once again, Will stood from his seat and made his way over to his boyfriend’s table.

“Nico?” He grasped Nico’s shoulder, warily watching the skeleton bring his arm up and drop it on the table. He took the opportunity to feel at Nico’s vitals, finding the usual darkness brewing in him, with just the slightest spike in his body.

“Hm?” Nico hummed, lifting his head up just enough to peek at Will. _Adorable._

“Did you… mean to summon him?” he gestured to the skeleton.

Nico begrudgingly sat up now, his cheeks puffed and eyes sharp. “No.”

Will glanced at his plate, noting the slight dent in the food. It was about the same as that morning, which wasn’t too good to begin with. He’d have subtly encouraged Nico to take another bite until Nico spoke.

“It’s happened before,” Nico grumbled, staring at the grapes on his plate. “He’ll go away eventually.”

“No, I don’t mind him,” Will reassured, though even he flinched at how unbelievable he sounded. “I’m just worried about you.”

“I’m fine.” Nico looked like he tried for a smile, though it came out more like a grimace. Will didn’t believe it for a second.

“You know, you’re not very convincing.” He said, because even if Nico’s vitals were as normal as ever, it was obvious something was bothering him. Will was going to leave it at that, at least until they were in private, but Nico spoke up before he could continue.

“I guess I’m just…”

“Nico—"

_“Lonely.”_ He bit out, crossing his arms and seemingly trying to make himself smaller.

Will sat beside him, ducking down to meet Nico’s eyes. Nico turned away, a faint blush dusting his cheeks. He sighed, looking between the skeleton and Nico.

It was clear enough that his emotions somehow influenced his powers, absentmindedly seeping out whenever Nico was distressed enough. It was like when the grass wilts around his feet or how the temperature dropped whenever he became angry or sad.

The raising of the dead thing must have been another type of response to his emotional distress.

Will thought back to a book he had read a long while ago, one dealing with mental health. There was a chapter on various mood disorders, explaining how certain emotions evoked certain behavior. It made sense, seeing as there was history of Nico relieving his powers under certain emotional pressures.

Nico looked absolutely miserable, glaring every so often at the skeleton as he moved and knocked his bones together rather loudly. The skeleton groaned, falling over the table and just staying there.

It was almost like he was stepping in as another camper, keeping Nico company in the most terrible way he could. Even then, Nico had subconsciously called for him, and considering what he’d said about being lonely…

“I have an idea.” Will grinned, though immediately dropped his expression as he met eyes with Chiron.

“For what?”

Will pursed his lips, subtly leaning in towards Nico’s ear. “How would you like to come sit with us at the Apollo table?”

Nico blinked, looking between him and the head table. “We can do that…?”

“Well, technically no.” Will scrambled to say something at the fallen look in Nico’s eyes. “But, as your doctor, I can insist you be seated with company.”

“And how would you do that.”

Will smiled, shifting closer to Nico’s side. “It’d be a shame if these zombies kept appearing out of nowhere, don’t you think?”

Nico blinked. “You’re encouraging me to use my _Underworldy_ powers?”

Will frowned, watching the way Nico’s lips curved into a teasing grin. He mentally chiding himself for leaving the conversation so open-ended.

“Don’t sass your doctor.”

“But—"

“We’ll talk about it more, when we don’t have to whisper between each other.” He ruffled Nico’s hair, tearing his eyes from the head table. “Is it… is it okay if I go? Chiron is eyeing me from across the pavilion, but if you want me to stay, I’ll stay—”

Nico rolled his eyes, though a fond look passed over his face. “It’s fine, Will. I’m fine.”

Will bit his lip, reluctant to get up and go back to his own table. “Are you sure?”

Nico nodded, gesturing to the splayed out skeleton across from him. “I have him to entertain me.”

Will smiled, if only a little bit. The skeleton still freaked him out, but he was also kind of interested in examining his bones as they moved and functioned.

_Another time_ , he told himself.

“Promise?”

“Promise.” Nico offered him a small smile.

His heart almost burst at the sight, though he quickly got a hold of himself and stood up. “Alright. I’ll see you after dinner, but for now, do you think you can finish up your grapes?”

“I’ll try…”

They talked about it in length right after dinner, agreeing to put the newly crafted plan into action right away.

Over the next few days, the appearance of a few of Nico’s zombies and skeletons became almost expected in the dining pavilion. He even snuck a few big cracks here and there, which Will did not approve of and ended up worriedly looking through Nico’s vitals after every one of his bigger schemes.

Will decided it was time to write up the doctor’s note once one of Nico’s zombies scared a wood nymphs so bad, it ended up causing the tower of dirty dishes they had been transporting to crumple down into a mess of glass and food on the ground.

He’d even signed it off, and the next day, Will presented the doctor's note to Chiron.

He took a long look at it, then back to Will, then back to the note. The smile on Will’s face never faltered, and it only expanded when Chiron finally sighed and waved him away with a _fine, but only for a few days._

He bounded over to Nico, watching the way his eyes lit up as Will told him the good news. Their eyes drifted towards the Apollo table, where Austin and Kayla were engaged in a heated conversation.

Will hadn’t thought to tell them about the plan, but he was sure they wouldn’t mind.

When he joined them with Nico, who came and plopped himself down next to Will, his siblings didn’t even question it.

Well, they saved the questions for later that night, along with their horrid teasing and poor imitations of kissy faces.

* * *

_first time breaking the rules_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've been skimming the other books and it breaks my heart how sad Nico's story is. Like how heartbreaking was it when he was trying to summon Bianca for months only for her to answer Percy the second he tried? Or the whole thing where Nico betrays Percy? My heart hurts ;-; 
> 
> _Posted: June 25, 2020._


	11. reciting his feelings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you guys know The Lightning Thief was written in 1994? Technically, it was just the manuscript, but still!
> 
> As always, enjoy!

_xi._

Nico groaned, glaring at the pounding on his door.

He’d finally fallen asleep after a night of fidgeting, though now, Will was insistently banging on his door.

“Go ‘way!” he mumbled, shifting onto his side. The blankets were a mess all around him, tangled up with his legs and thrown partially thrown over his torso. He was only a little cold, subconsciously curling up against the smiling sun pressed against his chest.

Nico felt the tension seeping out of him after the very rude knocking stopped. Even if he couldn’t sleep, he’d at least be able to relax in peace…

His _peace_ was short-lived, completely vanishing as the knocking started up once again.

Nico was very tempted to throw a pillow at the door, but that meant he’d have to get up in order to retrieve it, which he would rather not do. Instead, he stayed quiet, hoping Will would get the message and come back when the sun was actually up.

Unfortunately, the knocking continued a minute after he’d pulled the pillow over his ears.

Groaning, Nico threw the covers off his body and stalked over to the door. “Will, I told you—”

_Oh._

Nico blinked up at the blond- but it wasn’t Will. It was… “Jason?”

“Hey, Nico,” Jason said, though his eyes were clearly focused downward. Nico glance down himself, completely horrified to find the bright orange camp sweater staring back at him.

_Will’s_ hoodie.

He didn’t know what was worse- having Jason see him in something that was _obviously_ not his or having Will catch him in the sweater he’d misplaced a few days ago.

Nico blushed either way. “W-What’re you doing here?”

Jason looked back up at him, his eyes narrowing as they met Nico’s slightly hesitant gaze. “I just thought I’d stop by…”

Nico crossed his arms, trying to frow at the look Jason was giving him. He was processing something, his face scrunching up before a ping of resolution settled in his eyes.

“Why—”

“Not a word about the sweater.” Nico fixed him with a glare, though he didn’t think the blush on his cheeks made it all that intimidating.

When Nico’s eyes landed just a bit beside Jason, he realized it was just after sunrise. He pulled Jason into his cabin, slightly flushed at the thought of others seeing him in the orange cloth before closing the door.

Once he turned around, he was even more horrified at the sight of Jason staring at his messed up bed.

At the time of redecorating his cabin, Nico had replaced the blood-red covers of his bed with simple black sheets. He was much more comfortable and happy with them, if only they didn’t make the bright smiling sun stand out.

Jason made his way over, picking it up and rotating it around in his hands. Nico wanted to be irritated, though when Jason looked back at him he felt a wave of embarrassment wash over his body.

“Nico, you thought I was Will, right? Son of Apollo?” he held up the plushie, waving it around.

Nico deflated. “I…”

Jason looked panicked, immediately setting down the plushie and rushing over to his side. “Hey,” he said, leaning down to meet his eyes, “you don’t have to tell me anything. I was just thinking out loud—”

“No,” Nico interrupted, taking a deep breath before forcing himself to calm down, “it’s fine. You didn’t, um, say anything wrong.”

Logically, he knew Jason didn’t care. He knew Jason wouldn’t judge him or think differently of him- Hades, he’d even teased Nico about Will during his three days stay at the infirmary. Surely he had a pretty good idea of what was going on.

Still, Nico couldn’t bring himself to just say it.

“Just making sure.” He smiled, pushing his glasses up his nose.

Nico rolled his eyes, moving past him in favor of sitting on his bed. “Weren’t you and Piper scouring the entire United States?”

Jason followed him, nodding as he too flung himself on the bed. “We were. Chiron wants us to give up the search and go to school, though.”

Nico sighed, his mind wandering over to Leo and his stupid note. As soon as they were able to, Jason and Piper left to go search for their friend. They didn’t have a thought out plan, but they left late August in order to start their long and winded search for Leo Valdez.

It was October now, which means they’ve spent all of September with zero clues as to where Leo might have ended up.

“I’m sure he’ll turn up.” Nico offered, filling up the short silence that had settled between them. He hoped it offered some comfort, and judging by the way Jason’s lips twitched into a little smile, it did just that.

“I’m sure, too.”

Nico sighed, picking at his covers. “Piper’s not here?”

Jason rubbed his eyes, his shirt riding up just a bit. It reminded Nico of Will, to which he tried not to blush over. “She’s with Chiron. So are Percy and Annabeth.”

“They’re here too?”

“We stopped by Percy’s house first.” He said. “They decided to tag along since it’s the weekend.”

Nico nodded, already preparing for the headache he and Percy were sure to cause. Then, he paused. This was the last time everyone would be together for a while, and while he preferred not to, Nico knew he had to tell them about Will.

Sure, Percy and Annabeth had visited a few times after he and Will had made it… official, but they’d never questioned him. Neither had they seen him and Will together, which probably left things out in the open.

“And why aren’t you with them?” Nico huffed.

“They told me to leave you alone, at least until after the sun rose, but I wanted to say hi. Besides, it was just going to be a recap of what we did and Chiron lecturing us on the importance of school.”

“You should have listened to them.” Nico rubbed at his eyes, suddenly feeling a spell of sleepiness wash over him.

“Hey, Percy wanted to come too, but Annabeth caught him before he slipped away.”

“You guys are annoying,” Nico frowned, a yawn cutting him off. When it died down, he found Jason staring at him. “Yes?”

“You just… sound like a kitten.” Jason suddenly grinned. “To think you’re the scary one out of us three. You’re adorable.”

Nico was blushing furiously, shoving at Jason’s body as it shook with laughter.

“But I have to ask,” he sat up, wiping a tear from his eye, “do you also sneeze like a kitten?”

Nico would have smacked him, had Jason not caught both his wrists and pinned them to his sides.

He whined, eliciting another bout of laughter from the blond.

“It’s alright, baby bro.” Jason caught him in a headlock, ruffling his hair.

“I’m not your—"

_Knock knock!_

Nico stared at the door, kicking himself for forgetting about Will.

“Nico?”

“I-I’m up!” Nico called, ignoring the raised brow Jason shot his way. “Go without me, I’ll be there in a minute!”

Will scoffed from behind the door, though thankfully retreated. “You better, or else I’ll come get you myself!”

Nico let out a sigh of relief, then turned to Jason, who had opened his mouth to no doubt ask something stupid. “Get out,” Nico said, bringing his arm up to emphasize the extra material. “So I can change.”

“You know, you can change in front of me—” Nico raised his hand, fully prepared to send a skeleton after him when he laughed and skirted towards the door. “I’m going, I’m going!”

“Good.”

Just before he left, Jason turned back towards him. “See you at breakfast?”

Nico hesitated, wondering if he should tell him about his new seating arrangement. He ended up with a simple, “I’ll be there.”

“C’mon Neeks, it won’t be that bad. I’ve met them before, if you don’t remember.”

Nico shot him a dirty look. “I know that. It’s just, you haven’t met them as…”

“Your boyfriend?” Will wiggled his brow, leaning down and being all annoying. Nico shoved him aside, suppressing a smile as Will laughed right beside his ear. “Don’t worry, I’ll be on my best behavior, just for you.”

Nico rolled his eyes this time. “You’re a dork.”

_“Just_ a dork?” Will smiled at him, which definitely _did not_ send a fresh wave of heat up to his cheeks.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Nico mumbled, reaching for his hand. He ignored the smile Will sent his way, settling for intertwining his fingers between Will’s.

Nico bit the inside of his cheek, silently dreading the next few minutes.

They were on their way to the beach, where he’d seen Jason and the other three heading over after breakfast. Nico would have rather spent his time talking to Will, but the look Jason sent his way told him he’d be expected to join them as soon as possible.

He’d told Will, who happily announced he’d tag along.

_Of course._

It wasn’t that he didn’t want Will to come along with him- the exact opposite was true, actually. Will stabilized him, and considering both Percy and Jason would be there, he would need the support.

The thing that made him a little queasy was the questions all four of them were sure to ask. The whole conversation would either be embarrassing or aggravating, and Nico was not in the mood to deal with the insistent teasing they were sure to receive.

The beach had long since been in use, considering the cold weather that was beginning to roll in, though it was still a popular spot to just sit and get away from everything. Nico wasn’t surprised when they stumbled upon the four of them sitting at some boulders by the shore.

Piper was braiding her hair, nodding along to whatever Jason was saying. Percy had his arm slung over Annabeth’s shoulder, both of them with their backs towards him and Will.

Piper was the first to notice them, a smile spreading on her lips as she waved them over. “Hey, guys!”

Nico almost skirted away when they all turned to him, offering their greetings to the both of them. It didn’t help that everyone’s eyes immediately went to the linked hands between their bodies.

He felt Will run his thumb over his knuckle, a gesture Will did whenever Nico was in a bad mood.

It was relaxing.

Nico cleared his throat, lifting their arms up. He let Will do the talking, the short _we’re dating_ ringing in the air

There was a pause before Annabeth’s eyes sparkled, much like when Nico bit the bullet and confessed his crush on Percy all those months ago. “We know.”

Nico blinked, feeling a blush crawling up his neck. “Y-You know?”

She nodded, gesturing to Piper, who waved her hand around. “Hello? Daughter of Aphrodite here.” She winked.

“Plus, you made it pretty obvious when you sat down at the Apollo table this morning.” Annabeth smiled, though it was more of a cheeky grin than anything else.

He saw Will nod from the corner of his eye. “He’s got a doctor’s note.”

Nico flushed as the two smiled even wider, though his embarrassment quickly disappeared as his eyes landed on Jason.

“Well,” Jason suddenly grunted, sharing a look with Percy, “I think it’s an appropriate time for this…”

They both stood up, very rudely manhandling Nico aside and circling around Will. Both Piper and Annabeth facepalmed, glaring at their respective boyfriends.

“So, Will…” Percy spoke, propping his elbow up on Will’s shoulder, with Jason mirroring his actions. They looked intimidating, like they were trying to scare Will away as fast as possible. “What are your intentions with our baby bro?”

_Oh,_ Nico thought, his mind wandering to Cecil and Lou Ellen, _they must be doing the same thing._ Still, it didn’t make him want to throttle them any less.

Will fidgeted, though if it was out of discomfort, the little smile on his face said otherwise. Nico was about to go pull the two off of him when Will opened his mouth.

“Well, I remember first laying eyes on Nico. He was so excited, and his eyes sparkled at every new thing he saw, and I remember thinking he was the most beautiful thing I’d ever laid eyes on. I always wanted to say hi, but I’d never got the chance to, because the next thing I knew, he was gone.

And when he came back again, he looked so different from that little kid that bounced around camp every chance he got. Rumors got around, but I never cared how scary everyone said he looked or who his dad happened to be. I had to work up the courage to talk to him, but he had left before I could tell him how amazing he had been in Manhattan.

Then he came back during everything with Gaea and it was like every time I saw him, there was another burden pulling at his shoulders. He looked so sad- he was so sure no one wanted him, and he didn’t care how close to death he got and it just… made my heart hurt.

Even when we first spoke on our mission to scout the Romans, he was _this_ close to melting into the shadows. It made me angry how little he cared, but then I got to know him more as I nurse him back to health, and Nico was just as brave and smart and incredible as I’d imagined, and…”

Their eyes met.

“And I just… I just want to make you happy again.” Will smiled at him, and Nico flushed so bad he had to look away and hoped no one would comment

It was silent for a moment, where both Percy and Jason looked surprised, though Piper and Annabeth looked close to tears, two big smiles playing on their lips.

“Okay…” Jason patted Will on the back, moving away from him with an incredulous look in his eyes, “we’ll accept that.”

Nico didn’t know what to do, but when Will offered him his hand, he took it without a second thought.

They eventually sat down, joining on the conversation Annabeth had struck up. Will had slipped an arm around his waist sometime during it, and he was only a little annoyed when Jason and Percy shoot him a look, causing Will to immediately remove his arm.

Either way, after they all went their separate ways, Nico pulled Will into a hug and just buried his face in the crook of his neck, smiling and thanking him over and over again.

* * *

_first time reciting his feelings_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This started with Percy and Jason going all _protective brothers_ on Will, but it turned into Will being a complete sweetheart ;3
> 
> I also wanted Will's little speech to be super sappy and sweet, and I don't think I accomplished that goal, but nobody has ever recited their love for me so what would I know :)
> 
> Also, I fully believe Will is a total flirt. _And_ I also love the idea of Nico being everyone's adopted little brother, so I'm going to milk it for all it's worth.
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> _Posted: June 28, 2020._


	12. falling asleep together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These titles are becoming harder and harder to phrase.

_xii._

Nico knew he was staring, but he couldn’t really find it in himself to care.

Any other time, he might have been angry with himself for spacing out to simply admire whatever it was that caught his attention, especially if that certain something was a certain _someone._

But now, he was just worried.

Will looked sad, nothing like his usual bright and sunny self. His blue eyes were muted, their usual sparkle and livelihood replaced by the simple will to stay open. Even the bags under his eyes made an appearance, something Nico hadn’t seen since the days after the war with Gaea.

Even his hair looked less bouncy and curly, falling flat on the top of his head.

Nico normally would have never had the confidence to run his fingers through Will’s mop of blond hair, even if he wanted to so many times before, but right then, he was too concerned to worry about the embarrassment the action might have caused.

They were in the infirmary’s storage room taking inventory when Nico decided to approach the subject.

“Will?” he asked, taking a lock of Will’s hair in his hand. Will was currently sitting on the ground, cross-legged and all, while Nico had been standing and taking note of the very few boxes scattered around.

The lock of hair slipped out of his hold as Will slowly looked up, his empty features schooled behind a small smile. “Hm?”

Nico took a moment to search Will’s eyes, annoyed when all he got was a blush to his own cheeks.

“Are you okay?” was what he settled for, turning back to glance at the clipboard he had been holding.

It took a moment before Will nodded, moving back to his own task of counting pills. “Yeah.”

The silence that followed wasn’t uncomfortable, but it felt like someone was dusting dozens of little pinpricks all over his skin. He supposed that didn’t make much sense, but the silence just felt _off._

“Will—”

“We’re almost out of pills.” He interrupted, his voice void of any emotions. Nico watched as Will slid the lid on the last bottle he held, swiftly tucking it back on the shelf before standing on his own two feet. “What about you?”

Nico blinked, quickly going over the remained of the boxes on the shelf. “If those boxes are all full, we’ll have about six more rolls of bandages.”

Will wrote it down on his clipboard, sighing as he muttered a _we’re almost out of stock._

Before Nico could offer a response, Will turned and walked straight out the door.

Nico frowned, quickly hanging up the clipboard with the general description of everything in the room before he followed after Will.

It was unusual for Will to be so… not sunny. It was also especially odd when he didn’t try to poke Nico on the nose on his way out, something he did every time they stepped foot inside the storage room.

He almost walked past it, but Nico caught the sight of Will’s golden hair from the very corner of his eye. He was in the office, hunched over the desk and furiously writing in Ancient Greek.

Nico walked over, fully intent on figuring out what was wrong, but Will stood up before he could even reach the desk.

“Sorry,” he said, though he didn’t even take his eyes off the paper as he walked over to the door, “that’s it for today, so you’re free to go.”

Nico bit his lip, trailing behind Will as he muttered a few things under his breath. “Yeah, but I think—”

“Have you seen Chiron around?” Will asked, suddenly stopping and glancing over at Nico.

Nico just scrunched up his nose, stepping away from where he’d just crashed into Will. He had to think for a second, but he remembered seeing him heading off with a quiver on his back and a bow in his hands. “I-I think he’s over at the archery field.”

Will nodded. “Thanks,” he said, walking straight out the infirmary, “I’ll see you later, Neeks!”

“Yeah…” Nico was left on the steps to the Big House, watching after Will’s retreating form. “Later.”

It was now a day later, and Will had only gotten worse.

His tanned skin looked nothing like its usual golden tint, taking on a slight pale hue instead. Nico had never understood when Will said he looked sick, but now, he could clearly see what Will was talking about.

Even the skin around his eyes was just wrong, red and puffy and generally _not_ a look he ever wanted to see on his boyfriend’s face ever again.

Nico, even if he was growing extremely worried at the sight of Will’s dulled expression, couldn’t keep the bit of anger that seeped out into his words. “William Solace!”

Will jumped from his spot beside Zeus’s Fist, his head immediately snapping in Nico’s direction.

It was dark, the campfire in full swing at the amphitheater a few ways away from them. Nico hadn’t planned on leaving it, but when he arrived and Will was nowhere to be seen, he immediately stormed off to find him.

Sure, Will had kept his promise and they had met up a few hours after taking inventory in the infirmary, but the time they spent together had been strained.

Anytime Nico tried to question him, Will cut him off with something either completely off-topic or just plain odd. He’d walked Nico back to his cabin, though didn’t linger how he usually did. And today, Will had been straight up avoiding him and his siblings, which Nico was _not_ happy about.

“What are you doing?!” Nico crossed his arms, pointedly looking up when Will stood from his concrete seat.

“Nico,” Will breathed, his voice slightly airy, “hey—”

“Don’t _hey_ me!” He frowned, restraining himself from smacking Will on the shoulder. “Where have you been?”

Will shrugged. “Around.”

_“Around?”_

“Yes. Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I’m going to go to bed—"

“No!” Nico blurted. “You’ve been avoiding everyone all day! Ever since yesterday, you’ve been acting completely different! There is something wrong and we’re going to talk about it _right now_!”

“No, we’re not.” Will snapped, his brows drawing together and eyes narrowing.

Nico stood his ground, mirroring Will as he tried to step around him. “You always tell me how I shouldn’t keep things in, how I should find somebody to talk to! If you don’t want to talk to _me_ about it, talk to somebody else!”

“Nico—” Nico moved closer, wrapping his arms around Will’s waist and burying his face against his warm torso.

“Just, please, stop avoiding me…”

They stood in silence for a few minutes before Will sighed, his hardened composure giving way. After he calmed himself down, Nico peeked up and could make out the faint tear tracks running down Will’s cheeks.

“No, I’ll… talk to you.” Will said, his eyes scanning the area. “But can we not do it here? It’s too open…”

Nico nodded, taking Will’s hand and moving towards the cabins. “We’ll go to my cabin.”

It was only when Nico had closed the door behind them that he really began to feel hesitant. His frown even dropped when he turned and was met with a sad Will staring at the floor.

He gulped. “I-If you really don’t want to talk to me, I can go get Cecil, or even your siblings.”

Will shook his head, moving to sit down on the edge of Nico’s bed. “No, Nico. I want to let you in, I just need a minute.”

And that’s exactly what Nico gave him, letting the silence settle over them like a warm blanket. He sat next to Will, who leaned down to rest his head on his shoulder.

They ended up lying on the bed, with Nico on his back and Will slipping his arms around him, resting his head on his shoulder.

Even if he was heavy, the pressure felt nice. Will was like his own weighted blanket, or maybe a giant teddy bear, but his focus quickly shifted to Will shaking in his arms.

“When I think about Lee…or Michael… it just- I feel so—” he cut himself off with a wet sniff, his arms tightening around Nico’s waist.

Nico closed his eyes, focusing on the feel of the Underworld. He vaguely remembered those names, two sons of Apollo who had practically been attached at the hip.

Their faces were a blurry memory, though Nico could faintly make out two grinning faces introducing themselves to a ten-year-old Nico. The taller one, Lee, had ruffled his hair and offered him a bow.

Other than that, Nico couldn’t recall much about them.

He relaxed into the mattress, a distant feeling washing over his body. Nico searched for it, pouring all his focus onto the two siblings. Just a few seconds later, Nico blinked his eyes open, his senses returning to his body seeking snuggled between Will and his mattress.

“They made it to Elysium.” Nico whispered, running his hand down the nape of Will’s neck to rub soothing circles on his back. “Both of them.”

They didn’t talk about it then, simply basking in the silence that fell over them. Nico just let Will sob into the crook of his neck, moving his hands up and down and all over.

He didn’t mind the wet spot that formed on his shirt, only offering as much comfort as he could to his boyfriend.

Nico didn’t mean to fall asleep, and he was sure Will didn’t, either, but when a giant warmth had circled his arms around him, it was hard not to doze off for the remainder of the night.

* * *

_first time falling asleep together_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aw, poor Will :(
> 
> I don't know about you, but I picture Lee to be a real dreamboat. For Michael, I surely didn't picture him to be 4'6", but what can you do...
> 
> But tbh, I wouldn't mind if he came back. I'd like to believe he just ran off, starting a new low-key life. I imagine it's not likely to happen at all, but a girl can dream.
> 
> Until next time!
> 
> _Posted: July 2, 2020._


	13. kissing him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to apologize because this chapter is so unnecessarily long- totaling to about 5,300 words for absolutely no good reason :p
> 
> Even with its extensive nature, this chapter still feels just a bit rushed, but it could just be me.
> 
> Enjoy!!

_xiii._

“I’ll be right back, sunshine.”

Nico flushed at the nickname, though quickly frowned at what he’d been told.

It would have been the first time that day where they got to see each other for longer than five minutes, and Nico was hoping they could go down to the canoe lake for an hour or two, but it looked like Will already had plans.

He also wasn’t in his usual thrown together outfit, instead wearing a simple black hoodie and jeans with an empty medical bag slipped over his shoulder.

It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate the look (because Will looked _unfairly_ attractive in black), but Will never wore that bag unless something was going on. Which there wasn’t.

At least, from what Nico knew.

“W-Where are you going?” He finally asked, avoiding the hand that shot out to ruffle his hair.

“Remember when I told you about the low stock in the infirmary?” Will grinned, reaching out with both his hands to harass Nico. “Well, we usually get everything from Olympus, but with communications down, we’re going to have to go into the city to restock.”

Nico batted Will’s hands away, flushing an even deeper shade when Will managed to pinch his cheek. He glared, though it was met with an annoying laugh. Still, Will’s words caught up to him, making him freeze.

_“We?”_

“That would be us.” A new voice joined in their little squabble, to which Nico turned and frowned at. Kayla and Austin stepped down from the Apollo cabin, both with similar bags slung over their persons. Except, Kayla also wore a bow and quiver stuffed with arrows on her back.

Nico tried to look for any other weapons on either of them, though his search turned up fruitless. He wasn’t entirely comfortable with all three of them leaving camp with a single weapon, though he was trying to figure out a way to bring it up.

Nico looked back to Will, who had just been staring at him the entire time. “Is it safe for our medics to leave camp all at once?”

Kayla came to stand next to Will, waving her hand in a dismissing manner. “Please. We trust you guys won’t get into any life-threatening situations for a couple of hours.”

“We will try to be quick,” Will added. “Just in case.”

“And how are you getting there?”

“Will’s driving,” Austin answered, patting Will on the back. Nico narrowed his eyes, though he wasn’t sure if it was out of worry or curiosity.

Will nodded. “With the Jeep.”

Nico blinked, the statement leaving him with more questions than answers. Still, he couldn’t help but frown at the smile Will was giving him.

Nico didn’t know what it was, but the thought of his boyfriend and his siblings in the mortal world didn’t sit well with him. He didn’t want to admit it, but Nico had grown used to the safety Camp Half-Blood provided.

He couldn’t even imagine living how he used to, sleeping anywhere that would do, wandering from place to place, and more than occasionally bumping into a monster ready to lunge at him.

It was also as Will had said- with communications down, they wouldn’t know of any trouble until much, _much_ later…

Nico stood, crossing his arms and shooting them a pointed glare. “I’m going with you.”

The three blinked at him, turned to one another, then blinked at him again. It was like they were talking in some sort of language only they knew, which made Nico strangely antsy.

“I’d love for you to come,” Will said, his smile faltering just slightly. “But that won’t be necessary.”

Nico just stared, silently spluttering at the fact that Will so casually denied him. Kayla stepped in front of Will with a sunny smile, though Nico caught the eye roll she shot her brother.

“What Will meant to say,” she turned her head, no doubt shooting Will another look before turning back to Nico with a smile, “was that we’ve done this before, so we know how to handle some shopping. And monsters, though they haven’t bothered us the past two times we’ve gone.”

“Oh my gods!” Valentina Diaz shrieked, practically running down the Aphrodite cabin and bouncing up and down beside Nico. “Do I hear a shopping trip!?”

Nico could have laughed at the look the Apollo siblings now wore. Keyword: _could have._

“No,” Will said, holding his hands up before Valentina could retort, “we’re only going to restock the infirmary. We _are not_ stopping by any other stores.”

Valentina frowned. “Please, I think a trip to the mall is long overdue.”

Will shook his head. “We’re only going to the pharmacy.”

Nico realized Will wasn’t going to change his mind, which meant he’d be left behind all by his lonesome self...

He thought for a moment, a sly grin tugging at his lips as he met Will’s eyes. “I do think Valentina’s right.”

Everyone looked at him, shock evident as Nico tilted his head at the sudden attention.

“I mean, you have been saying I need some warmer clothes.” He smiled at the twitch in Will’s eye. “And this seems like the perfect opportunity to get them.”

“Sweetie,” Nico flushed at the pet name, trying to hide his embarrassment from everyone else, “you don’t have any money.”

Nico shrugged. “Actually, my father gave me this card with unlimited money…”

Beside him, Valentina gaped. “We are _definitely_ going!”

Nico could barely hide his laughter at the looks on all three of their faces.

“Val, we don’t have time for a trip to the mall.”

“Don’t be such a spoiled sport,” Valentina planted both of her hands on his shoulders, shaking him slightly, “your boyfriend is in need of clothing! We’ll be out of your hair- I’ll go take him to the mall and you guys go do your medicine thing.”

“Right.” Nico smiled thinly. He had a feeling he’d come to regret his decision later on, though he was too caught up in watching Will frown to think much about what he was getting himself into.

They were staring at each other for a while, silently exchanging a few words. They’ve done this a lot when Nico was in the infirmary, and it certainly hadn’t gone away once he was discharged.

“Fine.” Will bit out, looking… adorably angry.

He jumped when Valentina _squealed_ beside him, assuring them she’d be right back before running away and slamming the door to the Aphrodite cabin closed.

Nico stared after her, silently dreading the mess he’d gotten into just too spite his stubborn boyfriend.

He excused himself to his own cabin, gathering a few things that would be useful for his first trip outside of camp in a while. Nico did think about hiding his sword, though he couldn’t find a way to hide it without looking absolutely ridiculous.

The knock on his door didn’t startle him, as he was expecting Will to come and lecture him on what had just happened. Sure enough, when he swung the door open, Will’s frown was the first thing that met his gaze.

“Nico—”

“I know what you’re going to say.” Nico held his hands up, walking away from the door and back to his ministrations. “No Underworld magic, don’t strain myself, be cautious, and before you mention it, I’m taking my sword with me.”

Will’s mouth was open, as if he was going to say something, though he slid it shut. It looked like he was gathering his thoughts, trying to muster up something to say.

Nico didn’t expect him to deflate, a worried and slightly scared look taking over his usually sunny smile. “It’s barely been two months since you nearly melted into the shadows.”

_Oh._ So _that’s_ what this is about.

Nico sighed, slipping his sword into its sheath. Will looked so sad it made his heart squeeze, which immediately had him trying to figure out a way to get him to smile.

He stepped closer to him, hesitantly slipping his hand in Will’s. “It’ll be fine. I know my limits.”

“Somehow, I doubt that.”

“Will…”

They stood only a few inches away, Nico had to crane his head up to meet Will’s eyes. He was suddenly very aware of just how close their lips were…

“Promise me you won’t do anything stupid.” Will whispered, his breath tickling Nico’s skin.

He had to look away in order to formulate a response, willing himself not to get distracted by Will’s piercing blue eyes.

“I promise…”

Will smiled, which only served to reanimate the skeletal butterflies in his stomach. “Great. Now come on, I bet the others are all waiting up for us.”

Nico flushed as Will pulled him along, the image of them so close together replaying in his mind. It wasn’t the first time he’s thought of… _kissing_ Will, and every time the thought so much as flew by his mind, Nico couldn’t help but blush furiously. He was glad Will was too busy pulling him along to notice.

When they made their way over to the middle of the cabins, Nico was surprised to see Valentina waiting with Kayla and Austin. He would have thought she’d take the longest, and it looked like it should have taken her longer considering the whole new outfit and a fresh coat of makeup on her face, though she looked to be in deep conversation with the other two.

“Finally,” Austin caught sight of them first, moving to stand from the concrete seats, “we thought you guys forgot about the trip for a second.”

Nico could have sworn he saw a flash of pink on Will’s cheeks, but Will just brushed it off. “Well we’re here now, so let’s go before we get caught up in traffic.”

“Wait,” Austin raised a brow, “shouldn’t you two let Chiron know you’re tagging along?”

Valentina shrugged, moving past them and walking ahead. “I left a note. Now come on! I want to get there before the rush starts!”

Nico looked back, and sure enough, a bright pink note was stuck on Cabin Ten’s door. He could only hope his name was somewhere on there as they followed Valentina.

“Please don’t buy the whole mall,” Kayla spoke, though her lips slowly curled into a smile. “But if you do, get me something for the winter.”

“Sure.” Valentina then frowned. “I’ll give it a go. Apparently, my style isn’t the best.” She side-eyed Nico, which made him defensively huff.

“It’s definitely what _you_ would pick.” He mumbled, blushing when Will slipped his fingers through Nico’s.

Valentina’s frown morphed into a smirk. “We’ll make sure to stop by Hot Topic. Maybe Spencer’s, for Nico’s sake.”

“Do _not_ go into Spencer’s.” Will suddenly spoke, his tone equally threatening and horrified. Nico didn’t understand the disgust towards whatever Valentina had said, nor did he understand the snickering that came from everyone else.

“Don’t worry,” Kayla patted Will’s arm, a few snickers escaping her lips, “I’m pretty sure Val wouldn’t be caught dead in either store.”

“I wouldn’t, but it’s for Nico, since I haven’t had the pleasure of appeasing to his vampire style. Besides, a few toys won’t scare us away.”

Nico frowned. “Toys?”

Austin grinned. “They’re—”

“Hey, look! We’re here!” Will chirped even brighter than usual, his cheeks a rosy pink. Nico was still a little confused, though he got the impression those toys were some sort of inside joke.

He let it go, sweeping his gaze over to the small building in front of them. It was the first time he’s seen it, a small and wooden shack built to fit two vehicles.

“Since when have you had your license?” Valentina asked, picking at her fingernails.

Will smiled. “I don’t.”

Valentina suddenly stopped, glancing back at Will with a wild look in her eyes. “What!?”

Will slipped his hand out of Nico’s, something he definitely didn’t mourn over. “I mean, I know how to drive, I’m just not qualified to…”

“And we’re trusting you with our lives?”

Will rolled his eyes. “I’ve done this before. The only thing I’m not looking forward to is parking.” He crinkled his nose, something Nico found extremely adorable.

Before Valentina could reply with something sassy, Nico unconsciously blurted out. “I have a chauffeur.”

Everyone paused and looked at him. Considering the sparkling look in Valentina’s eyes, it was not the right thing to say…

“A chauffeur?” Kayla asked, her eyes wide.

Nico nodded, flicking his wrist away from Will’s gaze. “His name is Jules-Albert.”

“French?” Valentina beamed. “Call him over! I haven’t spoken French in so long!”

Before Will could surely say something about his health and all that, a black SUV drove right to them, stopping just in front of the road beside them.

Everyone made a move to the car, except Will, who looked at him with a flat expression.

“I’m okay.” Nico tried for a smile. “Besides, we don’t have to worry about parking. Or the police asking for a driver’s license.”

“First of all, we wouldn’t get caught. Second of all, I’m kind of glad we don’t need to worry about parking.” He frowned. “And are you sure you’re alright?”

“Summoning one zombie won’t kill me, you know.”

Will suddenly looked sheepish, though Nico couldn’t stay mad at him for long. “I know. I just… don’t want you to overexert yourself.”

Nico shrugged, ducking into the car as Will held the door open for him. Despite Jules-Albert’s rotting flesh and occasional groaning, Valentina happily settled at the front seat.

“What’s the address?” Valentina turned to them, her eyes sparkling.

Will quickly recited it to Jules-Albert, who groaned before driving off. Valentina started speaking in French, occasionally pointing and picking at his nineteenth-century motoring outfit while Jules-Albert replied with as much interest as Nico’s ever seen from him.

Austin and Kayla had settled in the back row, immediately engaging in a conversation of their own.

He and Will sat a little closer than necessary, but Nico didn’t mind. If anything, he reveled in the feel of Will playing with his fingers.

He must have spaced out, because all too soon, they arrived outside of a small, annoyingly bright store.

It was tucked away from most of the other buildings in the area, with a rather crowded parking lot and plainly decorated outside. He was a little in awe, seeing as he rarely ever went out, even when he was without a home…

Nico was brought out of his staring as the door beside him popped open, the warmth at his side suddenly leaving.

He watched as Will hopped out of the vehicle, though when he was about to scoot over to see him off, Austin chucked himself over the middle seat.

He wiggled, earning a few choice words from Kayla as he kicked his feet. Will stood by the door, bemusedly watching as Nico pressed against the opposite door. Soon enough, Austin climbed out of the door, followed by Kayla, who had simply swung her legs over the seats and muttered out after her sibling.

Once that was settled, Will leaned against the door, shooting him a rather weak smile. “Stay safe, sunshine.”

Nico scooted closer, searching Will’s worried eyes. He was about to ask why, fully prepared to hop out of his seat and follow the trio, but then he remembered what- err, _who_ \- had convinced Will to let him join in the first place, making him deflate just a little.

But then, he met Will’s eyes, and _wow._

Will had no business looking that good just leaning against a door. His hair tousled, brows slightly scrunched up, lips turned into a small smile. Though, if he just leaned in a little bit…

“Will!” They both jumped, with Will whirling around to meet Kayla’s pointed glare. “Stop making _goo-goo eyes_ at your boyfriend and let’s go!”

Will turned back to him, a light blush dusting his cheeks this time. “We’ll be ready in like, an hour. Is that enough time for you guys to do some shopping?”

Before Valentina could open her mouth, Nico nodded. “We’ll be back in an hour.”

“Okay.” Will smiled one of his breathtaking smiles. “Be careful. Don’t shadow travel. Try not to use your Underworldy powers, please. And _do not—”_

Will was yanked away, replaced by a waving Kayla. Behind her, he saw Austin dragging Will into the building. “So, an hour from now?”

Nico blinked. “Yeah, we’ll be here.”

“Good.” She backtracked, slamming the door in his face before furiously waving them off. Austin shot them a thumbs up from the glass doorway while Will pouted behind him, though waved as Jules-Albert started down the parking lot.

Now, sitting alone and listening to Valentina go on and on in French, Nico was starting to regret his impulsive decisions.

Around five minutes later, they arrived at a grand building with hundreds of vehicles parked in the biggest parking lot he’s ever seen. There were people walking in and out of various entrances, carrying bags with different designs or simply sipping at something in their hands.

There was a semi-circular driveway where a few vehicles were lined up, each dropping off a handful of kids.

Once they settled behind the last vehicle in the driveway, Valentina unbuckled her seatbelt.

“Merci, monsieur!” She cheered, slipping out of the door and motioning for him to follow along. Nico thanked Jules-Albert, moving to follow in Valentina’s footsteps.

Immediately after stepping out, Nico took a deep breath. He was going to need it.

Valentina bounced along, skipping over to the automatic doors sliding away for them. Nico inspected them, his eyes immediately assaulted by various warm-toned lights.

“My gods!” Valentina sighed, skipping to the glass railing a few ways away and marveling at the floor below. “I haven’t been to the mall in a hot while!”

Nico went to stand beside her, the multitude of lights and designs hurting his eyes. He’d only been inside one of these _malls_ before, during his time away from camp. Nico immediately left, though, as it was just as obnoxious and crowded as he remembered.

Valentina, on the other hand, looked to be in her element.

“C’mon!” He allowed her to drag him along, her touch light and insisting at his wrist. “I know just the place for you.”

She dragged them to a set of escalators, talking his ear off as they descended to the ground floor.

Admittedly, he was kind of looking forward to getting his hands on something warm. The days were really starting to get chilly, and he couldn’t mooch off of Will’s warmth _forever_ , as much as the idea appealed to him.

“So,” Valentina nudged him, “you guys were in your cabin for quite some time. You weren’t making out, were you?”

Nico frowned, “Making out…?”

“Oh, I’ve got so much to teach you.” She practically swooned, bouncing up to the entrance of a dark store, it's branding especially different from the stores around it. “But first, shopping!”

He hated to admit it, but there were a few things that really caught his attention. Anything Valentina shoved into his arms, however, made him crinkle his nose and set it back on its appropriate rack.

Nico was frowning at an impossibly high hung jacket when Valentina came bounding over, carrying a multitude of bottoms. “What size pants are you? You’re so tiny, so I’m sure you’ll fit a size—" she paused, blinking up at the piece of clothing Nico was staring at. “A bomber jacket? So that’s your type of style?”

“Bomber jacket?” he repeated, thumbing at the shirt hanging over his forearm. “And I don’t need any more pants. I thought we were here to get warmer clothes?”

Valentina snorted, “Don’t ever go shopping with me and expect to pick up just a few things.” She reached for a long metal pole hanging from the wall, using it to grab the hanger and bring the jacket down.

Nico reached for it, his fingers stroking over the crinkly outer fabric.

Valentina grabbed the tag, eyeing it over. “It’s a medium,” she said, moving to retrieve the next jacket, “I think there are some small ones in the back—”

“No!” Nico blurted, immediately embarrassed over his little outburst, “a medium is fine.”

Valentina looked at him, though a small smile spread on her lips. “Oversized? You’re at least a small, if not, an extra small. But… I can see it now, and _oh_ , you’ll look so adorable!”

Nico wished he hadn’t said anything.

They spent an eternity there, looking past the cartoon plastered clothing and picking out a few more warmer items. Valentina insisted on buying a few jeans, saying something about how Will is going to appreciate them once he sees them on.

Once everything was paid for, they left with three full bags of sweaters, shirts, and a few jeans. If it were up to Nico, he’d have just gotten the jacket Valentina had helped him get and a few other sweaters, but the daughter of Aphrodite was very determined to add to the pile in his arms.

Nico moved back to the way they came from, but Valentina grabbed him by the shoulder and steered him off into the depths of the bright and colorful lights.

_“Weren’t we just here for these?”_ Nico had asked, shrugging her hands off him and following her lead.

_“Nope. We’re hitting every store in sight! Now hurry up, we’ve got less than an hour for a ton of shopping!”_

That’s how he’d ended up following Valentina around the building, into and out of a multitude of clothing stores and even an entire place dedicated to makeup. They rarely left any stores empty-handed, but he was kind of glad for the cover the bags gave him, allowing him to hide his sword behind the abundance of shopping bags.

He even picked out a few more things for himself, much to Valentina’s joy.

Around fifty minutes of going from store to store, Valentina guided them down to an even lower level of the mall, surrounded by an abundance of sweet and salty smells.

“Food break!” Valentina squealed, trudging down the remaining steps with dozens of bags in her hold. Nico tried not to trip as he too stepped off the moving escalator, following behind her as she claimed a round table off to a secluded corner.

Nico eyed his surroundings, taking in the multitude of fast food places and even admiring the grand carousel in the middle. He still wasn’t used to the modern world, and everything intrigued him.

The designs and technology were something he couldn’t stop admiring, his eyes wide in awe as Valentina skipped right past the things he found so absurd. He was even surprised at how… _little_ some people wore. They’d even come across another boy with his pajamas on, though nobody even batted an eye to him.

Valentina suddenly dumped her bags on and beside the table, throwing herself on a chair before waving him off. “Go get whatever you want, I’ll stay here and guard the bags.”

Nico dropped his bags too, stifling a yawn. They walked around and moved quickly for so long, Nico must have grown tired somewhere along the way. “You don’t want anything?”

“Of course,” she smiled, “but someone’s got to keep an eye on the bags. I’ll go after you come back.”

So he went, his attention drawn to a sweet-smelling shop with a pretzel plastered above some words. He couldn’t be bothered to decipher what the sign above the counter read or even what the tiny letters- of what he assumed was the menu- read.

When it got to be his turn to order, Nico just pointed to a cup full of bite-sized pieces of bread displayed right beside them. After handing the girl behind the counter his card (and lazily explaining how his sword was just a prop), he headed back to Valentina.

She plucked the card out of his hands, immediately moving to a place with no line. Nico turned back to his bites, sticking one on his fork and cautiously taking it into his mouth.

He couldn’t help but think about Will’s disapproval of the unhealthy snack, but the little bites were surprisingly good. It, of course, didn’t help by the fact that he has always had a sweet tooth.

When he glanced over to Valentina, he could see her talking to some random girl. The girl gestures to his direction, which had Valentina furiously shaking her head and furrowing her brows.

The girl nodded, handing Valentina a slip of paper before scurrying away to her group of friends. Their eyes met for a moment, which led her to blush and duck down from Nico’s gaze.

He shrugged it off, going back to chewing at his tiny bread bites.

Valentina eventually came back, sliding him the card and going off on a tangent involving a Damien White and Chiara Benvenuti.

Much to his surprise, Nico ended up laughing over a few mouthfuls of his snack. When the conversation shifted to him and Will, however, Nico slid down his seat and tried to hide his flaming cheeks behind the blue cup.

“…you look at him like he hung the stars, which is so adorable! You’re _so_ in love with him.”

Nico was about to retort with something possibly stupid when a cloud of smoke passed by the corner of his eye. He turned to it, immediately standing as Valentina paused her ranting.

“Nico, what’s—”

“We have to go.” He practically whispered, grabbing both their empty wrappings and chucking them in the trash. Once he got back to the table, Valentina seemed to have spotted the three smokey spirits approaching them as she quickly started to wrap her hands around various bags.

“Can’t you just- I don’t know, stab them!” Valentina hissed, earning a few curious glances from the tables around them.

“I can’t!” he grabbed the last of the bags, frowning at just how many Valentina decided to bring along. “They’re plague spirits! We can’t kill them!”

“And you know this _how!?”_ She yelped, turning to follow Nico as he broke out into a sprint.

He didn’t want to mention he knew all about them from their Mythomagic card, so instead, he bounded over to the stairs, narrowly avoiding the people crossing his path. “Just don’t breathe them in! You’ll get really sick!”

Valentina nodded, catching up to his side. They took the stairs two at a time, hastily apologizing to the people they shoved aside.

Once they were on the main floor and stopped for a quick breather, Nico took the chance to glance behind them.

The nosoi were quickly approaching, leading him to grunt at Valentina and motion to the three spirits hot on their trail. She groaned, though took a deep breath as they broke out into another sprint.

They caught the attention of just about anyone who came across their path, even what appeared to be a police officer calling after them.

_“Di immortales.”_ Valentina sighed as they rounded a dead end. Nico bit his lip, scanning their surroundings as the three nosoi rounded the corner.

Out of pure luck, Nico noticed a door with a bright red plaque on the front. He moved toward it, shaking the handle until it flew open.

An alarm sounded through the air, but he paid it no mind as he moved over and allowed Valentina to squeeze in, following after her just as the nosoi came within inches of him.

_“Son of Hades…”_ One of them hissed, blinking its creepily yellow eyes.

Nico slammed the door closed, reaching for Valentina’s hand before he melted into the shadows.

They landed just outside the pharmacy building Will and his siblings had gone into, right behind a tree in a nearby flowerbed. The sunset gave the tree a big enough shadow to allow him to land safely in, a shivering Valentina in tow.

“Gods…” Valentina let the bags slip from her hands, falling to her knees and clutching at her stomach. “Don’t _do_ that.”

Nico was a little too disoriented to at least ask her if she was okay, though the hand pressed to her mouth told him she was barely holding on.

Just then, his knees buckled as he felt himself fall backward, landing against the skinny tree’s trunk. Valentina was at his side a second later, her nausea not quite gone away but under enough control to start talking. “Nico? Hey, stay awake for me, yeah? Gods, Will is going to kill me…”

He stayed awake enough for the familiar chatting of three voices to graze his ears, his eyelids fluttering heavily against his eyes.

“Holy Hera, how did you get all this in under an _hour?”_ Austin’s voice carried over to him, making him huff a little laugh.

Not even a second later, after they figured something was wrong, shuffling filled the air before a head of blond hair took Valentina’s place.

“Nico? Are you okay? What happened—” he turned, seemingly searching for answers elsewhere.

Nico just stared, his mind reeling and eyes fluttering. Will, his boyfriend, was _right there,_ and he looked so good in the golden light the sun provided…

He felt himself being sat up, his head hanging between his shoulders and arms immobile at his sides. They were so heavy and cold, but the warm hand wrapping around his own made the tips of his fingers tingle…

He heard Valentina going over their entire trip, spending more time focusing on the close call with the nosoi. Despite the brief monster attack and long moments of listening to Valentina ramble on, Nico… kind of had fun.

“You got someone’s number?” Austin asked, probably addressing Valentina, though Nico was too tired to lift his head and check.

“Actually,” Valentina let out a little huff of a laugh, “it’s for Nico.”

Will shifted, one of his other hand leaving its spot against Nico’s waist as the sound crumpling paper filled the air.

‘Well, that was unnecessary.” Valentina mumbled, though her voice held a hint of amusement.

“How are we going to get home?” Kayla asked from somewhere behind him, reminding his wandering mind about Jules-Albert.

With a wave of his hand, Nico interrupted whatever it was Will was saying. “He’s on his way…”

Will stared at him, taking the hand he used to summon Jules-Albert and pressing it against his warm chest. _Wow,_ Will was really warm. And when he looked up at him, Nico couldn’t help the heat brewing at the pit of his stomach.

They were so close, their faces just inches away. Nico really wanted to lean in, and he would be lying if he said he hasn’t thought of it quite frequently…

Except, Will was talking, no doubt running his mouth on how he shouldn’t use his powers and all.

“Too late…” Nico mumbled, leaning into Will’s shoulder. It was so nice and comfy, and he was so tired, maybe he could just close his eyes for a few moments…

“Nico, you can’t—"

Nico pulled away from Will, grasping his face with both his hands and pulling him in for a kiss.

It was chaste and sweet, like a quick peck of their lips more than anything. It was silent now, and Nico let his hand slip over Will’s shoulder and the other fall against his chest.

Any other time, he would have been mortified by what he’d just done, but right then, Nico was losing his battle with the clutches of sleep.

“You talk too much…” He mumbled, drifting off into nothingness.

_Did he just-_

_Was that-_

_Our first kiss…?_

_Oh my gods, that was so cute!_

* * *

_first time kissing him_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if some things are accurate (like the camp Jeep or even Nico's credit card) but I've seen both in enough fics to consider it a yes.
> 
> Really, this was just an excuse to write Nico bonding with some of the other campers, and I image Valentina to be like another sister to our little Nico~
> 
> On another note, I hope we get a kiss in The Tower of Nero...
> 
> _Posted: July 5, 2020._


	14. feeling jealous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, let me just dump this here and skedaddle.
> 
> (Also let me know of any errors you find because, despite editing, some mistakes such as whipped vs wiped or staring vs starring slip by me >;v)

_xiv._

They’d been laying in the meadow hidden behind the forest for some time now, chatting about whatever came to mind while gazing at the clouds in the clear blue sky.

At some point, Will had pulled him closer, slipping his arm against Nico’s waist and pressing him right to his side.

Despite his protests, Nico enjoyed half laying on Will, his cheek nestled atop his chest and legs tangled together.

Of course, they could only have a few moments of peace at a time.

There was a flutter of footsteps moving closer to them, though Nico was pretty sure he’d have ignored them, had the person not been shouting a few deranged _Will_ ’s.

It was Cecil, who Nico would have gladly waved away, had Will not immediately sat up at the call of his name.

Nico huffed, though when his eyes landed on Cecil, he immediately knew why Will even paid the other boy any mind.

He was covered in blood, his clothes and hands stained a deep red. Even as he was bent over, panting from the jog he had taken, Nico could see some blood smeared onto the underside of his jaw.

“What happened?” Will detangled himself from Nico, ready to get up and meet Cecil half-way up the field.

Cecil held a hand up, shaking his head and pointing behind him. “Not me- new camper…lost his arm- in the infirmary—”

In a fraction of a second, both he and Will were up and running in the direction of the infirmary, a panting Cecil close on their heel.

Once they burst through the doors of the infirmary, they were met with a gruesome sight.

Austin and Kayla were by this new camper’s bed, each holding him down and taking his vitals respectively. Sure enough, his right arm from the biceps down was missing.

Nico couldn’t help but marvel at the amount of blood caking both Kayla and Austin’s clothes. They weren’t wearing any scrubs, just hastily pulled on gloves and, in Kayla’s case, a sloppily pulled back hairstyle.

Despite the copious amounts of blood, Nico couldn’t find any sign of death hanging above the thrashing boy.

Will snapped into action, scurrying off to frantically dig around in the bedside compartment before pulling out his own gloves, a needle, and some thread.

“We got the bleeding under control,” Kayla uttered, her left hand holding a bloodied clump of towels against the stump. “Vitals are normal, with a slight decrease in blood pressure.”

“Any anesthetics?” Kayla shook her head.

“We were more concerned with the bleeding to go get any,” Austin replied, grunting as the boy tried to sit up.

“And how long has this been going on?”

“About ten minutes since he first arrived.”

Will nodded, taking the boy’s hand and closing his eyes. “He’ll likely pass out in the next few minutes, then…”

Kayla leaned back, wiping the sweat from her forehead with the skin of her forearm. “We’ve got to arm in the back, are we—”

“Go get it, please,” Will said, his voice low and focused. “We have to do this as soon as possible, so once he’s out, we’ll begin.”

He was full doctor mode now, and Nico couldn’t help but admire the swift change in persona…

Nico stepped over when Austin motioned for him, replacing Austin’s hands on the boy’s shoulders as he disappeared from view.

Now that he was practically face to face with the squirming man, Nico noticed a Brazilian printed bandana tied around his neck.

It made sense, considering the boy started spouting things in what Nico guessed was Portuguese.

He turned to Will, though was immediately made to look away as Will shot him a small, grateful smile.

Just as Austin came back with a giant cooler filled to the brim with ice, the boy groaned one more time before going limp in Nico’s hold.

“Okay,” Will sighed, organizing a station with lots of things, including some thread and needles, “we can start the surgery right away.”

So Nico left them to work, moving off to the side and frowning at his slightly bloodied hands. He would have gone to wash them right away, had he not noticed Cecil chatting away with a frightened-looking satyr.

“Nico!” Cecil called him over, wildly flailing his arms. “Come here for a second!”

Nico trudged over, meeting Cecil’s grinning face. “Yes?”

Cecil went off, slinging an arm over the satyr’s shoulders. “Woodrow here is a little worried over Paolo’s chance of survival, so will you reassure him?”

Nico raised a brow. “Paolo?”

The satyr, Woodrow, nodded. “Paolo Montes, son of Hebe. I picked him up somewhere in Texas before escorting him here, and we were doing fine, but when we got just outside the camp’s barrier…”

“He’s fine.” Nico supplied, glancing over his shoulder at the three siblings moving over their new camper. “I don’t sense any death.”

“I told you!” Cecil grinned, though quickly grimaced as the slimy spots on his shirt peeled up from his skin. “Now why don’t we go get cleaned up and let them do their Apollo thing.”

Nico nodded, both him and Cecil escorting Woodrow out and away from the infirmary. He was about to say something when Cecil began to strip his shirt off, causing him to flush and turn the other way.

“Why are you covered in blood, anyway?”

Cecil snorted. “I saw them outside the barrier. Being the generous hero I was, I thought it’d better help and ended up carrying Paolo over before running off to find Will.”

Nico rolled his eyes at the _humble_ part of his explanation, though hummed along at the rest.

“By the way, I had to check three different places before I actually found you guys. Can’t you be like every other couple and cuddle over in your cabin or something?”

_“Cecil!”_

Nico slowed his walking, eyeing the tipping over bottles of Gatorade in his arms.

Alongside them were four wrapped up sandwiches, cut neatly into triangles and topped off with some smiley stickers Valentina had insisted he use (except for Will’s, which was a little heart).

The three medics had been in the infirmary for quite some time now, skipping entirely over dinner and working late in the day. Apparently, Will thought it was a good opportunity to teach both Kayla and Austin a thing or two about bigger injuries such as these.

Nico had come to check on them a number of times, and just thirty minutes ago, they looked to be wrapping up in their surgery to reattach the severed arm.

Will had mentioned the cut was jagged and far from clean, which is why they had to spend a lot of some time fussing over Paolo’s injury.

Once he kicked the door to the infirmary open, he was met with all three of the Apollo siblings lying off to the side of a sleeping Paolo’s bed.

“Um, I’ve got food.”

That jolted everyone from their stupor, which just caused all three to straighten up and smile at him as he passed out the sandwiches and Gatorade.

“You’re the best.” Will tiredly smile at him, his smile turning to a grin when he noticed the heart stuck onto the aluminum foil. “Well—”

“It was Valentina’s idea.” Nico blushed, moving to sit beside Will. “She helped me make them.”

“They’re _so_ good.” Kayla moaned, munching on the sandwich in her hands. Austin nodded beside her, leaning to the side and clunking their heads together.

Nico unwrapped his own sandwich. Will probably thought it was a sort of snack for him, considering he was on the ruse that Nico went to dinner, but he didn’t have to know…

“Gods, I’m so tired,” Will grumbled, pressing his shoulder right against Nico’s.

“That wasn’t how I thought my day would go.” Austin sighed, a few crumbs making their way down his chin.

“I would have liked something calmer,” Will met his eyes.

Nico turned away, uncapping his Gatorade and taking a few sips.

“We don’t even know the kid’s name,” Kayla mused, turning to Nico, “How’s Woodrow? He seemed a little shaken up the last time we saw him.”

Nico shrugged. “He’s doing better. Still a little shaky, so he went to take a nap.”

“Did he say anything about a name?” Austin asked.

“Paolo Montes.” Nico chewed, swallowing down the bits of bread in his mouth. “Son of Hebe.”

“Goddess of youth, right?” Kayla asked, grinning when Will nodded. “That explains it. He’s _hot.”_

Nico blinked when both Will and Austin nodded, their eyes moving to Paolo sleeping on the bed.

“Staring at that arm for an undisclosed amount of time has made me _really_ appreciate quite a few things…” Kayla chirped.

“It’s the face that does it for me.” Austin pointed out, “did you see his eyes? And that jawline is _sharp.”_

Nico turned to Will, finding his boyfriend intently ogling Paolo. His eyes even followed along to the things Kayla was saying, raking up and down his sleeping face.

An icky feeling settled at the pit of his stomach

Sure, Paolo was _okay_ with his tanned skin and sharp jaw and defined muscles and-

_Oh._

Nico looked down at himself, frowning at the skinny, pale, and tiny features he was met with. Compared to Paolo, well…

_He’s not_ that _hot._

“Nico?” Nico blinked once again, turning to find Will staring at him now. Actually, both Kayla and Austin were staring at him as well.

It was probably because of the wilting and splitting wood beneath him, or maybe he’d unconsciously voiced his thoughts.

Either way, both were more than embarrassing…

“Are you…” Will began, a little smile playing on his lips.

“Jealous?” Austin finished for him, hiding behind his sandwich.

Nico huffed, crossing his arms and staring intently at his half-eaten sandwich.

“Don’t worry, Neeks,” Will grinned, ruffling his hair, “I much prefer a tiny son of Hades with a cute button nose and adorably pinchable cheeks and—"

Nico rolled his eyes, turning away as his face burned with every new word spewing out of his annoying boyfriend’s mouth.

But maybe he listened along, secretly committing the compliments to memory.

_Maybe._

* * *

_first time feeling jealous_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think Nico has acted jealous before because Will’s _am not_ response seems way too casual for it to be the first time Nico’s brought something like staring up.
> 
> (And let me say, his little _Hmph_ is just so cute!!)
> 
> Here's the excerpt for those of you that don't know what I'm talking about:
> 
> _“Paolo seems agitated,” (Apollo) noted._
> 
> _Will shrugged. “He’s lucky he’s a fast healer—son of Hebe, goddess of youth, and all that.”_
> 
> _“You’re staring,” Nico noted._
> 
> _“I am not,” Will said. “I am merely assessing how well Paolo’s arms are functioning after surgery.”_
> 
> _“Hmph.”_
> 
> _Posted: July 8, 2020._


	15. feeding each other

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to let everybody know that I have decided on a set number of chapters, though I won't be changing the chapter count from the question mark since, if you can't tell by now, I love to leave things as a surprise. 
> 
> This one is pure fluff if I do say so myself :)

_xv._

Will hummed along to the song currently stuck in his head, some catchy tune Austin had been playing at the campfire last night.

He sighed, remembering the way Nico smiled as Will joined in on the singing. Even when his pitch was off and vocals were terrible, Nico was still nice enough to cheer him on.

Speaking of, his brooding little boyfriend had just walked through the infirmary office’s door, looking as angelic as ever.

“Nico!” he grinned, straightening up before flopping back against the office chair. “Hey.”

“Hi.” He smiled thinly, carrying two neatly decorated cupcakes in his hands. Will waited for an explanation to the two sweets, though all Nico did was set them down on the desk before climbing on next to them.

They were both chocolate cupcakes, topped with what looked like textured icing and sprinkled with… well, flower-shaped sprinkles.

Still, Nico just sat there with his elbows on his thighs and head rested against his palms.

“Um, what’s the occasion?” Will asked, gesturing to the cupcakes Nico seemingly forgot about.

Nico glanced at them, shrugging before going back to staring off into nothingness. “Miranda made a bunch of them earlier today. She asked me to bring you one.”

“Oh, its that time of the year again.” Will nodded, jotting down a few more things on his paper.

“What’s so special about this time of the year?” Nico asked, his attention now on Will.

“Well,” Will glanced up to him, “there’s a point where Miranda starts feeling down because it’s, you know, _fall,_ so she does something to cheer herself up every year. I guess cupcakes were this year’s theme.”

Nico made a face, though it was the one he made whenever he was thinking intently over something. Like any other of his faces, it was incredibly adorable.

“That explains why she was weirdly excited when she gave them to me.”

Will chuckled, imagining the look on Nico’s face as a bubbly Miranda approached him. Any bubbly person approaching Nico would have been fun to watch. “Yeah, she says she tries not to let the seasons affect her, but I think she takes it a little too seriously.”

“No kidding,” Nico swung his feet, allowing them to fall into a comfortable silence.

They did this a lot- whenever Will was stuck doing some paperwork for a good chunk of the day, Nico would stop by and just sit next to him, blessing Will with his presence.

And because Nico was as stubborn as ever, he insisted on sitting atop the desk just a couple of inches away from his workspace.

Will didn’t mind- especially since he could easily glance up and be met with an eyeful of _Nico._

A few minutes later, Will packed away the papers he had been scribbling on, turning to Nico as he picked at the rips in his jeans. He then looked to the cupcakes, then back over to Nico.

“You haven’t eaten your cupcake yet,” Will noted, standing up to go place the file away in their cabinet.

“Neither have you.” Nico pointed out, a little smile grazing his lips.

“I was working.” Will smiled back, this idea he’d been meaning to try for a while now crossing his mind.

He reached for a cupcake, peeling away the wrapping just enough to expose the majority of the fluffy cake below the icing. He looked at it before holding it up to Nico’s lips, enjoying the surprised little look crossing his features. “Will—"

“Bite.”

Nico blinked, flushing as he leaned away from the cupcake and he held a hand up to Will’s forearm. “W-What?”

Will smirked. “If you’re not going to eat, then I _guess_ I’ll have to help you out with that.”

“I am perfectly capable of feeding myself.” Nico huffed, turning his head away. Will pursed his lips, immediately shifting to a smile as he reached for the other cupcake.

He peeled the wrapping away, placing it in Nico’s hands before grabbing the other cupcake once again, shoving it back into Nico’s face before he could protest any further. “There. Now you won’t feel so left out.”

Will opened his mouth, though couldn’t help but laugh at the outlandish look Nico was giving him, a sprinkle of red dusting his cheeks.

“Will, are you okay?”

Will rolled his eyes. “I’m fine, sunshine. Couples do this all the time- now open up before they go stale.”

“You are _not_ feeding me.”

“I’ve fed you before, Nico.”

_“W-What?”_

“Well, you kind of ate my s’more and you were nearly unconscious when it happened, but that doesn’t count.”

“Will—”

Will nudged the cupcake between Nico’s lips, simultaneously leaning forward and taking the cupcake Nico was holding up into his mouth.

The chocolate definitely overpowered everything else, though the sweetness in the icing made it just the right balance of rich and sugary. Even the sprinkles added a little more flare to it, and while Will didn’t usually condone eating such unhealthy snacks, he found he could make an exception every now and then.

He savored it, humming as he swallowed it down.

Nico, on the other hand, had his cheeks puffed out, visibly chewing away at the larger bite Will had accidentally shoved into his mouth. He looked really cute, even cuter when the shocked look turned into one of his familiar frowns.

“They’re pretty good, aren’t they?” Will asked, his smile the widest its been.

“You’re insufferable.” Nico finally said, though the blush on his cheeks and the shifty eyes told him Nico was solely embarrassed, more than anything.

Will smiled at him, though one smear of that colorful icing caught his attention.

“You’ve got a little something on your face…” He mumbled, reaching out and thumbing away the icing at the corner of Nico’s lips. His other fingers had tucked themselves under Nico’s chin, forcing him to look up and stay still as Will worked away.

The air shifted around them the longer Will examined the spot right beside his lips, and if he was being honest, Will prided himself in the little shiver passing over Nico’s body.

Just as an experimental touch, Will let his thumb swipe down and over Nico’s bottom lip, pressing lightly as his eyes zeroed in on those plush, if not, slightly cracked lips.

Will felt his own cheeks begin to warm up, but it was nothing like Nico’s flaming red skin and wide, curious eyes.

Before he could pull back and tease Nico some more by plopping the colorful fluff into his mouth, Nico’s pink little tongue darted out and licked the icing right off the pad of his thumb.

Will jumped, jerking away as he felt the rush of heat pooling in his cheeks. Even when he was completely clueless over what he’d just done, the parted lips and wide eyes looking up at him made Will a little more than… surprised.

Well, his mind wandered off somewhere he’d rather not think about right then and there.

“I-I’ve got to teach you about innuendos…”

“What?”

“Nothing!”

* * *

_first time feeding each other_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cupcakes!
> 
> Sorry, I really wrote all this chapter out just for the little bit at the end (because I do like steamy fics as much as I like fluffy fics)...
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> _Posted: July 10, 2020._


	16. going to the movies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, thank you for 4k hits! 
> 
> ALSO: I have a [Tumblr](https://ewxtp.tumblr.com/) active, where I'll be most likely posting updates on fics or reblogging things :p 
> 
> Or just come by and ask questions or stuff ;3

_xvi._

Nico frowned at the bright, colorful, and vintage-looking building in front of him.

In front of _them,_ as Will was pressed right by his side, smiling so brightly Nico’s cheeks hurt just looking at him.

They weren’t holding hands, though they were standing close enough for Nico to feel Will’s trademark warmth seeping over to him.

“I haven’t been here in a while…” Will muttered, eyes scanning over the multiple signs with odd designs and blinding lights. “They’ve changed the style.”

“So, it hasn’t always been this obnoxious?” Nico asked, raising a hand to shield himself from the neon-es.

“Oh, it has.” Will grinned, ushering Nico to start walking. “But the building is painted a different color now. It used to be purple and green.”

“Ew.”

Will shrugged. “It was supposed to give off _70s_ vibes.”

Nico frowned. “I doubt they were as crazy as everyone makes them out to be.”

“You’d be surprised.” They walked to the front doors, waving Jules-Albert off as he disappeared into the shadows.

They continued the conversation while waiting in the line, with Nico commenting on the tacky carpets he could see through the glass doors. Once they go to the ticket booth, however, Will took over the talking.

Meanwhile, Nico’s eyes roamed over the various lines of information above the man working the booth, watching the way a screen cycled through some clips of what he assumed were the different films displayed to the left.

Looking at all the words and numbers made his vision go slightly crossed, so he settled for watching Will.

His boyfriend had been so excited when Chiron approved of their venture outside of camp borders, immediately coming up to Nico and practically radiating happiness while going on and on about what they could watch.

Of course, they didn’t know what was playing in theaters, but Will was confident enough in picking an interesting sounding title that they decided to pick at random.

Will asked for two tickets to something whose name Nico didn’t quite catch, though he knew it was some horror film that was appropriate for the season, as they’d settled on during the ride there.

_Spooky season,_ as Will had called it.

Nico handed the man his credit card, thanking him as he slid them their tickets and wished them a good day.

When they entered the theater, though, the smell of fresh popcorn immediately assaulted Nico’s nose.

Will took a deep breath, dramatically exhaling it out as he closed his eyes, a look of pure bliss crossing his features. “Mm. This smell brings back memories…”

“The smell of salt and grease?”

“Hey, why don’t we get in line before it gets too long?” Will pulled him along, ignoring Nico’s previous statement in favor of eyeing over the even flashier and obnoxious looking menu list.

Nico couldn’t even look at it for long. It wasn’t even the lighting that made him turn away, but the small print of the dozens of items that made him blink several times over. He’d told Will how hardwired for Greek his brain is, and while Will was also dyslexic, his was at a much more tolerable level than Nico’s.

Either that or Will had already memorized his order, bouncing by the balls of his feet and marveling at everything with a giddy look in his eyes.

Nico frowned, allowing himself to also indulge in their full surroundings.

Aside from the obvious popcorn machines, there were also a lot of other things being displayed both behind and aside the main counters.

Farther off to the seating area of the theater, a bunch of cardboard cutouts stood, advertising both old and new films. They were even tucked into a corner of a nook with a bunch of games inside of it, also sporting a few _other_ shifty things…

There, a group of teens were staring at him, one subtly pointing at him while the others looked thoroughly confused. Nico realized it was probably due to the Stygian Iron sword sheathed to his hip.

“You know,” Will poked him on the arm, grinning when Nico turned his way, “I suggested leaving that thing back at camp.”

“It’s better than nothing.” Nico spat, crossing his arms as he looked over to the fully stocked shelves.

There were lots of sweets, but there were also a lot of sugary and more sour candies etched into the shelves. Nico was surprised to find himself recognizing one or two brand names, once he’d taken the time to decipher the words.

Will leaned over him, his chin nearly resting on Nico’s shoulder as he hummed. “Want anything? I’m only getting us some popcorn and soda, but you can grab anything you want.”

Nico nodded, deciding to reach for a Hershey’s bar.

Once they got to the cash register, Will ordered a medium-sized bucket of popcorn with a medium-sized drink. He gestured for Nico to set the chocolate down on the counter, reaching for the black credit card that was tucked safely in Nico’s back pocket.

Nico jumped, flushing and glaring as Will just handed it over.

The lady at the counter didn’t seem to notice, politely taking the card and swiping it through the thing Nico noticed everyone use. She then turned away from them, grabbing a cup and filling it with what Will had asked for. Another worker behind her opened the popcorn box and grabbed a scooping thing, filling the bucket in his hands with a bunch of freshly popped popcorn.

Nico took the drink while Will took the popcorn, reaching for two clear straws and a ton of napkins.

“Two straws?”

“Well, yeah.” Will grinned. “Unless you want to share.”

Nico flushed, turning away from Will before the blond gasped, steering them away from their path and straight to a… photobooth.

“Will—”

“Let’s get some pictures!”

Nico would have said something, but the excited twinkle in Will’s eyes made him just close his mouth and comply with whatever it is that Will wanted.

They set their food down beside the booth before Will practically shoved him in, which caused him to flinch at the obnoxiously bright light that lit right on his face.

Will settled beside him in the very tight space, their thighs pressing together and shoulders bumping against one another.

“What border should we choose?” Will practically beamed, clicking through a screen that lead him to a bunch of buttons. Nico didn’t even try to follow along, losing himself to the way Will just seemed to know what to do.

Nico leaned forward, frowning at all the tacky designs Will showed him. Will just laughed, swiping his finger over a plain white border.

Their faces immediately showed up on a screen much bigger than the first, and Nico would have cringed had Will not pulled him into a closer and smiled directly where the camera was.

A few minutes later, they came out with matching strips of four pictures, all stacked atop each other with a plain white border.

The first picture caught Nico by surprise, which just ended up picturing a smiling Will while Nico frowned at him. The second one had Nico actually facing the camera, though a look of surprise was on his face as Will looked at him with a slight grin. The third one was just Will tickling him, his face scrunched and body curled away from the assault.

And the last one…the last one was probably his favorite, if he was being honest.

It was the one that looked the most natural to Nico. In it, Will had snuggled up to him, encasing him in a warm hug as the camera snapped the picture while they were both laughing, eyes closed and smiles evident.

Will had fawned over how _cute_ he looked in all of them for the next five minutes.

Once Will realized they were about to run late for their film, they were soon picking up their things and rushing down a long hallway.

On the walls, lots of flashy posters hung in thick glass frames. Nico guessed they were from films playing at the theater, ranging from cartoons to people to just plain items pictured in the frames.

Will stopped before he could question the frames, leading them into a pair of doors with a giant number at the side. Inside, the room was dim, but it was flooded with just enough light to see where they were going.

Nothing in particular stood out to him as they climbed the small ramp, but once they turned the corner, Nico marveled at the sheer sight of the modern theater.

“Let’s sit up top,” Will said, nudging him on the shoulder. Nico nodded, moving up the lit-up stairs and avoiding the strangers’ curious gaze.

The room itself didn’t surprise Nico, as from what he could remember, theaters had always been grand and fancy. What did catch him off guard was how simple the room looked, with just a little hole at the back of the room that bled the film onto the enormous screen.

Even when some _previews_ began playing, the lack of light shining through the hole and strong surround sound booming through the room thoroughly amazed him.

“Remember, Neeks,” Will whispered, his eyes never leaving the screen at the front, “you can cuddle up to me if you get scared.”

Nico snorted, shoving Will away as he leaned over to him. “Not a chance.”

At some point during the film, Will had yawned, his arm stretching up and over and finally wrapping itself around Nico’s shoulders.

It was an odd way to stretch, but he didn’t mind it as much as he thought he would. Then again, they were seated at the very top, away from view and hidden from prying eyes.

And for that very reason, he may or may not have taken Will up on the offer to cuddle up to him.

Nico also didn’t mean to fall asleep, but the chocolate in his tummy and the warmth by his side made him doze off just a little.

(Only to be shaken awake by some ridiculously sudden and loud noise from the film.)

* * *

_first time going to the movies_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish we got to see more of Nico adjusting to the modern world, cause that for sure was not an easy task ;-;
> 
> Also, I don't know if anyone else shares this sentiment, but horror movies (for me) are not at all scary. The only thing that would make me jump are the loud noises, which are heavily overused in every horror movie ever.
> 
> _Posted: July 13, 2020._


	17. carving pumpkins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't believe Nico would have an accent or even have trouble pronouncing some English words, considering it's been four years since he's consistently been in the U.S, but I'm giving him these attributes because it's more realistic to look at it that way :)
> 
> Coming from a person who is learning French but already speaks Spanish, my _Sprench_ is strong (it's what my French teacher has always called it).
> 
> Did I mention I come from a school where 87% of us are Hispanic, 9% are African American, 3% are Caucasian, and 1% are others, which is something you don't see often here! Because of that, literally 87% of our school is bilingual, and those of us who take a foreign language make us trilingual! 
> 
> I am nervous to go to college as a not-white person because it's going to be very different from what I've been used to for the past 12 years, but we'll see how it goes...
> 
> Also, here's a link to a [5 min documentary](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adq7on8ZbIM&list=LLG28duDbc68UUwfMyXlZbLw&index=62&t=30s) on my school! I like to look at other schools, so in case you're like me, this one is pretty good! The construction mentioned had been finished later that year and the stadium and new wing came out so beautiful! Whenever it cuts to the band in the bleachers, just know, I'm in there holding up my flute :v

_xvii._

“Haa-luh-ween?”

“That’s it!” Will smiled at him, pulling him over by the waist and ruffling his hair. “I knew you could do it!”

Nico rolled his eyes, pushing away from Will’s grasp. “Stop harassing me.”

“But that’s the fun part!” Will teased, leaning away from Nico’s swatting hands. “Besides, you like it.”

“Do not!” Nico huffed, though he was sure the pink twinging his cheeks didn’t make for a very compelling argument.

Before Will could say anything in return, Chiron strolled passed them, clicking his hooves and calling for silence among the campers.

All twenty or so of them were sitting on the ground, spread out in pairs of two. A plump and orange pumpkin sat in front of every pair, along with a variety of colorful and flimsy tools.

Will looked ecstatic at the prospect of these two things paired together, though Nico couldn’t really place why.

Carving pumpkins was apparently something very traditional for _Halloween_ , a day where people admire the scary things in life, like skeletons or black cats.

At least, that’s how Will described it.

Another vital part of the holiday, er, the _main_ part of it, was when children dress up, go out, and ask for candy from strangers.

And since they couldn’t go out of camp without being hunted down by something the size of a pick-up truck, Chiron had decided to hold an annual pumpkin carving contest.

From what Will had told him, the contest had been running for as long as he could remember.

The rules were simple enough: creativity is key, magical items are sparsely allowed, and killing and maiming are _not_ \- though, Nico didn’t know how that would apply to something such as carving pumpkins.

After a few more words of encouragement, Chiron blew his horn, signaling the beginning of their extensive arts and crafts project.

“So, I was thinking we could make a frowny smiley face with some detail stitches.” Will immediately fished a pen from his jeans, along with a blank piece of paper. He sketched out something along the lines of what he’d just described, as well as a pair frowning holes for eyes and two smaller ovular holes for nostrils.

Nico blinked, eyeing the cartoonish design. From what he’d gathered, Halloween was supposed to be scary, but that design looked far from it.

“That’s supposed to be scary?” He asked, reaching for the paper.

Will just grinned, moving to grab a small blade from the set of instruments. “Well, it doesn’t have to all be scary. Even on Halloween, people dress up as fairies or princesses- or even grapes!”

“Grapes?”

“Yeah.” Will laughed, digging the blade right beside the stump of the pumpkin and cutting around it. “People go as anything. I don’t remember it, but my mom did put me in a lion costume when I was a toddler. I only know of it because she keeps a picture book around.”

Nico nodded along, imagining a tiny Will in a lion costume. the image so adorable that Nico momentarily forgot what brought the topic up.

“So it’s just an excuse to dress up?”

Will subtly nodded, slipping the pumpkin’s stem right off and revealing a mess of pale pumpkin seeds and slimy orange guts.

“Help me out?” He asked, a sheepish smile forming on his lips. Nico just rolled his eyes, picking up one of the curved utensils and scooping a handful of the slimy stuff out.

They sat there for what felt like an eternity, scooping out the orange gunk and talking about anything that came to mind. Nico’s nose scrunched up every time Will tried to bring the slimy stuff anywhere near him, earning him nothing but bursts of laughter from the blond. 

Somewhere to their right, Nyssa Barrera shrieked before shouting out a frantic, _“Harley!”_

Everyone turned to the siblings as a little bang rang out through the air, a puff of smoke engulfed them both.

Once it dissipated into the air, it revealed a startled Nyssa and grinning Harley, both covered in soot and hair sticking every which way.

“That was awesome!” Harley cheered, his fists excitedly pumping into the air.

Nyssa smile was wobbly, though she held up her hands as she looked around to the other campers. “We’re fine…”

Will blinked over at them, shaking his head as he wiped his hands off on a piece of cloth. “I’m so glad I’m not over there.”

A laugh bubbled up at the very back of his throat, grabbing a piece of pumpkin guts and flicking it over to Will, watching it land and stick to his tanned cheek. “But now you’re stuck with me.”

“And I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Will chirped, leaning down to sketch out the face into the pumpkin’s outsides.

They took turns both sketching on the design and, eventually, carving out the lines of what they’d spent so long perfecting.

At some point, Will’s hand slipped, the second oval of the nose being cut over to the first one. Nico just cut it the rest of the way, joining the two pieces so that they formed a heart.

It was unintentional, but once Will took one look at it, he immediately brightened up again and teased Nico for the remained of their time.

At the end of the hour they were given, Will presented their pumpkin to the rest of the camp. Everyone immediately noticed the heart-shaped nose, cooing and swooning over it.

And even if his cheeks burned at the attention, Nico didn’t mind it.

Not when Will smiled at him like that.

* * *

_first time carving pumpkins_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was very short, the shortest so far in this collection, but I honestly didn't know what else to fit. I hope it's still as cute as the rest!
> 
> And yes, the picture they were carving was basically Jack Skellington, just imagine his oval nostrils are angled to easily form a little heart!
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> _Posted: July 16, 2020._


	18. using pet names

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy this next installment of _dorks in love!_

_xviii._

Will never really realized how _cuddly_ Nico was.

But, standing beside his bed, watching him completely curl against the little sun plushie Will had made him weeks ago _definitely_ gave off the impression that Nico yearns for some cuddles.

And really, this was one of the very few times Will’s actually caught him sleeping peacefully. He’d come by every morning to wake him and make sure he wouldn’t skip breakfast, but Nico was either already up or grumbling at him through the door that he’d meet him there.

Though this time was different- this time, it was near curfew.

Nico had excused himself after a few hours of sword practice, promising to be back in time for the campfire. Nico didn’t come back, which is what lead him to seek out his little ball of sunshine.

Will had knocked about three times before he decided to enter Cabin Thirteen, the cool air immediately fanning his face and sending a single shiver down his spine.

The first thing that greeted him was the cabin’s unkempt bed, and of course, that’s where he’d found Nico cuddling up under a pile of blankets and looking so irresistibly _adorable_.

He was mumbling things, little sighs and tiny mumbles escaping his lips every now and then. Will _really_ wanted to pinch his cheeks and pepper his face in kisses, though he refrained himself.

Instead, he settled for looking around the cabin.

He’d been in it some times, though he never really took the time to look around.

There was only one other bed in the whole cabin, the one that belongs to the one and only Hazel Levesque.

Will had never gotten to properly introduce himself to Nico’s half-sister, though with no form of communication between the two camps for the foreseeable future, it looked like their introductions would have to wait.

A little ways away from the bed, a shrine to Hades sat, perched against the wall with its glowing Greek fire and collection of bones and jewels.

Will gulped, silently thanking the god of the Underworld for allowing him to enter the cabin in the first place.

Beside Nico’s bed, a few shelves were hung high, containing a few of Nico’s belongings. He recognized the Hades figurine from Nico’s blabbering about Mythomagic, though Will’s eyes couldn’t linger long on the object.

There were some other things, such as a few small jewels and some trinkets scattered around. Even the strip of pictures they took in the photo booth was pinned up there, which made Will smile all the more.

Nico’s bed was across from a little couch the Athena kids had picked out, and surprisingly, Nico had liked it. The bedside table was also a piece of furniture that survived the redecorating, though Nico had said he liked the simple yet intricate designs carved into the wood.

Now that he thought about it, the main things that Nico hadn’t liked about the originally modeled cabin were the coffin-like beds, which Will liked to tease him about whenever he could.

Speaking of his vampire boyfriend, Nico stirred, his eyebrows scrunching together and eyelids lazily fluttering open.

“Good morning, sleeping beauty.” Will teased, moving to sit at the edge of the bed.

Nico always protested the use of pet names, though it was worth it to see the blush on those pinchable and puffy cheeks.

And it always worked, seeing as Nico propped himself on his elbows, rubbing at his eye while glancing towards the nearby window. He huffed, falling face-first into the cocoon of bed sheets and pillows before mumbling out a sleepy _not morning…_

“You _are_ right,” Will smiled, scooting closer to Nico’s upper body, “it looks like you dozed off before we could make it to the campfire, though.”

Nico frowned, his arms tightening around the mass of blankets and sun plushie. “Sorry. M’ just tired. Practice was a little much…”

Will nodded, reaching over to brush a few strands of hair away from his eyes. “It’s okay, sunshine. I just came by to make sure you weren’t dying.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “…Course not.”

“Yes, I know that now.” Will laughed, running his hand through Nico’s messy hair. “I think I’ll leave you to sleep now. Gods know you need it.”

Nico shook his head, though it did nothing but make the butterflies in Will’s stomach flutter.

“Goodnight, Nico. Sweet dreams.”

“Will,” Nico whimpered, lifting his head from his mountain of bedsheets and peering at him with those sleepy eyes, “sleep with me?”

Will’s heart soared for multiple reasons, but at that moment, Will decided to suppress the heat rushing up his neck and stand from Nico’s side. “As much as I’d like to, I wouldn’t want to impose.”

Will calmly tucked Nico in, biding him another goodnight before strolling off towards the door. He looked back when he heard some shuffling, and the look on his Nico’s face made it _very_ hard to turn back and walk straight out the door.

“Come on, _tesoro_ …” Nico grumbled into his pillow, his arm outstretched and hand reaching for him in a grasping manner. “Stay…”

The tone of Nico’s voice and the adorable gestures were what made Will grumpily shake his head, moving to turn off the lights before making his way back to Nico’s side.

_“Tesoro?”_ Will teased, kicking off his shoes and quite quickly slipping under the covers. He was glad he’d switched into his pajamas before coming to find Nico. “I don’t think you’ve ever called me anything other than annoying.”

Nico huffed, moving impossibly closer as Will offered him a spot right beside him. “You are annoying…”

Will chuckled, smiling when Nico snuggled up to his chest. He even slipped his arm under and over, resting it right on Nico’s waist.

He had to tread carefully, seeing as Will’s fingers brushed against the skin that revealed itself under Nico’s loose-fitting top. Nico didn’t seem to mind, or maybe he didn’t even notice, but all he did was sigh contently against Will’s neck.

“Glad you think so,” Will whispered when they finally settled down, his heart fluttering when Nico’s hold tightened just slightly.

“Hmph.”

After that, Nico slipped into a deep sleep. Will just laid there, admiring the boy in his arms and whispering sweet nothings into the air.

When he did finally feel himself fall into a nice slumber, he couldn’t help but repeat the little word Nico had called him…

_Tesoro._

* * *

_first time using pet names_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While doing research for this chapter, I learned that the Hades cabin doesn't have windows. I'm excited to see the cabins in the Disney+ adaptation, even if the introduction to Cabin 13 will be in literal years ;-;
> 
> If y'all didn't know, [Viria](https://viria.tumblr.com/) is the official artist for all those character pictures I'm sure everyone has obsessed over, and she drew [this](https://viria.tumblr.com/post/174625439578/a-sweet-solangelo-commission-for) a while ago, which is where I got the idea for the _Tesoro_ pet name.
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> _Posted: July 19, 2020._


	19. making him laugh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t know if I’ve already done this, and I know I don’t have anything under this first, but it feels very déjà vu. 
> 
> Also thank you for the 5k hits 🥺👉👈

_xix._

Nico’s lips were downturned, eyes sharp and brows furrowed.

He looked beautiful, as always, though the current situation they were in made his frown a little more understandable- a little more vicious and a little less cutesy.

“…and then finals are coming up, which aren’t going to be fun in the least,” Percy grumbled, taking a bite of his blue piece of food.

Annabeth stood a little ways away, her arms crossed and frown pointedly fixed on her boyfriend.

It wasn’t like this just a few minutes ago. In fact, the only ones that had been seated at the amphitheater were both Will and Nico.

They had been sitting shoulder to shoulder, going over Nico’s previous visit to his father before a dreadfully cheerful voice interrupted them, a voice that surprised Nico and made Will raise an eyebrow.

Of course, it was Percy Jackson, very excitedly making his way over to them as he carried more than a few snacks over.

Just as Nico had opened his mouth and was no doubt about to say something cheeky, Percy wiggled his way between them and comfortably sat on the bench, right between Will and his boyfriend.

Will didn’t mind it, but he could tell Nico was becoming a little agitated with every second that passed by. He even tried to give Annabeth some pleading look, though the blonde just raised a brow and shrugged.

And that’s where they’ve been for the past twenty minutes, with Nico glaring daggers at Percy and Percy continuously ignoring them in favor of going off in his own tangents.

Really, Will liked listening to Percy’s rants on how school was going. He liked listening to him complain about the teachers and classmates, and even go on and on about how annoying gym class could be.

It quelled the little ache in his heart over not being a normal teen, stressing over schoolwork and hating life for an entirely different reason.

Though, one look at Nico and it all slowly melted away.

It was when Nico actually summoned a zombie that the message got across and Percy stopped talking.

The skeleton, who was sprawled on the ground, wrapped it’s bony hand around Percy’s ankle, groaning and staring up at them with hollowed eyes sockets.

They all turned to Nico, who was practically silently seething at Percy.

“Nico—”

“We were having a moment.” Was all he said, his tone short and clipped. Before Will could say anything else about manners, Nico stood and dragged him away from the blinking duo.

Will waited until they were far from the amphitheater, off by the canoe lake before speaking. “You know, that wasn’t very nice.”

Nico scoffed, kicking a pebble into the water. “He was being annoying.”

“That’s still not an excuse to summon your skeletons on people.”

Nico grumbled, wrapping his arms around Will’s arm. That was a dirty move and Nico knew it, considering Will could never resist a cuddly Nico.

“Nico.”

“I’ll apologize later.” He huffed, nuzzling closer to Will’s side. It took all of Will’s strength not to just scoop his little prince up in his arms and attack him with a flurry of kisses.

Instead, he settled for one of his own frowns. “We’ve talked about this.”

Nico stopped, his previously cuddly mood turning to one of his signature _death glares._

At least, that’s what Nico’s called them. Will had never been affected by them, and he wondered if it was because he didn’t view Nico as the scary and brooding kid that hung around in the shadows.

No, his fear of Nico was always outweighed by his admiration for the bubbly kid who first stepped foot in Camp Half-Blood.

Nico detangled himself from Will, crossing his arms and stalking off in front of him.

Will bit back a smile, quite easily catching up to Nico’s short strides, but staying back a safe distance, lest Nico decides to sock him in the ribs. “Aw, don’t be like that, sweetheart.”

The minutes passed on and Nico still didn’t say anything. Will sighed.

_So it’s one of these days._

Sometimes Nico just got in one of his grumpy moods, where he wasn’t really upset or angry, just… stubborn. Luckily, Will had figured out the perfect solution to coax Nico out of his little cloud of darkness.

He cleared his throat, his eyes scanning their surroundings before he did anything drastic. They were a little far from the docks that held all the canoes, and considering it was well into the cooler weather, no other campers were hanging around the scene of his upcoming crime.

With a few cracks to his knuckles, Will raised his arms and immediately attacked Nico’s sides.

Nico _shrieked,_ moving his crossed arms to smack against at Will’s wiggling fingers. It was no use, as whenever Will got to tickling Nico, he was very persistent.

Will grinned at the laughter coming out of Nico, the noise very much music to his ears. Even when Nico tried to run away from him, Will decided to listen to his brain and scoop Nico up, carrying him over to the side and setting them both down on the ground.

He made sure they weren’t anywhere near any shadows, seeing as Nico wasn’t above threatening to shadow travel them both to the Underworld.

It took Will a moment to acknowledge Nico, who was surprisingly still laughing. Except, his laughs were small, eyes closed and smile evident through the fit of giggles.

And sure, Nico has laughed before, but this… this was the reserved, genuinely happy laughter that Nico very rarely unconsciously let out.

Will smiled, leaning down and letting his hair fall over Nico’s face, whipping it around and intentionally tickling him with his curls.

After a few moments of listening to Nico’s sweet giggles, Will eased off of him, leaning over his flustered and shy boyfriend.

Nico blinked up at him, the remnants of happy tears glistening in his eyes as he planted his hands on Will’s forearms. “I’m sorry.”

Will hummed, poking Nico’s nose and watching the way the fluster crawled up his boyfriend’s slim neck. “I’m not the one you should be apologizing to.”

“You’re right,” Nico bit his lip, stifling back a giggle, “I’ll go apologies to Percy as soon as you let me go.”

“Hm…” Will thought, bringing a hand to his chin before giving in to the wide smile threatening to break through. He nuzzled into Nico’s arms, rubbing his nose into Nico’s neck and grinning when those giggles started up again. “I think I’ll keep you to myself for a little while longer.”

* * *

_first time making him laugh_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nico's laugh for sure is such a rare and adorable thing that whenever he does it, it makes everyone just stop and stare because _wow._
> 
> And let me just say, you guys are going to _love_ the next chapter.
> 
> Until next time!
> 
> _Posted: July 22, 2020._


	20. dancing together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew chile, this is probably one of my favorite chapters so far! 
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> A side note: If I'm looking into things correctly, the whole Trials of Apollo series span for a total of six months. The space between the end of Blood of Olympus and The Hidden Oracle is six months, which somewhere in that, Nico and Will got together.
> 
> What I'm getting at is that those two have been possibly dating for nearly year, only IF they got together sometime soon after the war. I hope that's the case, and that it's brought up in Tower of Nero, because I'm so ready to celebrate with them :))

_xx._

It was the last day of October, which _obviously_ meant a day of pure insanity would fall over Camp Half-Blood.

This was what all the carving pumpkins and skeletal decorations all led to- the big day where children would dress up as whatever they pleased, go to strangers' houses, and politely ask for candy.

And while they couldn’t go out and _trick-or-treat,_ as Will had called it, they could still dress up in ridiculous costumes and go around scaring everyone with fake blood and poorly put together murder scenes.

Nico, much to everyone’s surprise, was not looking forward to any of it.

His suspicions only grew when Will came to wish him a good morning dressed in a cloak and wearing fake vampire teeth. Nico wanted to laugh at how adorable Will looked, but he ultimately knew that the day would end with a massive headache.

Especially when he stepped out of his cabin, finding everything coated in cartoonish ghosts and multicolored pumpkins.

Nico had been told the Hermes kids always snuck in more than a few Halloween decorations, stringing them up on every piece of building they could reach. They had apparently distributed costume props and pieces of clothing, explaining Will’s state of dress, which were all as tacky as ever.

“Does Chiron know about this?” Nico mumbled, picking at one of the ghosts strung up on his porch. It started at him with a wide smile and hollow eyes, very different from the actual ghosts he’s met.

He batted it away just as Will held his hand out. “Oh, he sure does. The Stoll’s do this every year, but since this is the first year Travis isn’t here for it, Cecil joined in on the action.”

Nico nodded, eyeing the decorations scattered around camp as they made their way towards the dining pavilion. “And these are supposed to be scary?”

“Not necessarily.” Will flashed his fangs, the resulting grin dorky enough to make Nico snort. “Like these, they’re in the spirit of the supernatural, but they don’t necessarily strike fear, do they?”

“Not by a long-shot.” Nico agreed, smiling as their hands found one another.

Once they reached the rather short food line, they ended up settling right behind Holly and Laurel Victor.

They were both sprinkled with, what Nico assumed, fake cobwebs. It seemed to be the least of their concerns, seeing as they were arguing over something unrelated, pointing fingers at one another as they stalked off towards their table.

He looked at Will, who shrugged before piling a few things onto both their trays.

Even as they made their way to the Apollo table, nobody questioned it anymore. They had gotten a few curious looks the first few days, but as the weeks went by, it just became common knowledge that Nico had a doctor’s note.

When they sat down and were greeted with both Kayla and Austin caked in black powder with messy hair and pointed frowns, Nico knew the day would be less than ideal.

Nico sighed, relishing in the warmth the lively campfire provided.

As he had guessed the very moment he stepped out of his cabin, the entirety of Camp Half-Blood seemed to be in a different, more chaotic mood.

Will could have warned him about the very _prank-happy_ mood the Hermes children got into, more specifically the _male_ children of Hermes.

Their sisters, Julia Feingold and Alice Miyazawa, were just as excited to pull pranks and cause terror among camp, though they thankfully held off and promised to tone their brothers down however possible.

Still, Nico had been relieved when he managed to get through the day without incident. He’d have thought everybody knew better than to mess with him, seeing as he could quite quickly send his offender straight to the Fields of Punishment, but after a couple of weeks of staying at Camp Half-Blood, that thought was proven to be very wrong.

And he wasn’t as mad at that fact as he should have been, solely because it meant his presence was no longer a repulsing idea.

Another testament to his presence no longer being a disturbance was the fact that he had been forcibly encouraged to take part in the _very fun_ candy feast and costume party proceeding the morning of pranks.

Everybody had gathered around the empty space in the center of the cabins, handing candy to one another and trading whatever it was they had gotten in their mystery bags.

Nico wasn’t too sure of the idea at first, but he soon got into it. He even traded a few of the more sour things for chocolates with Harley, much to both Nyssa and Will’s dismay.

The gathering had soon moved to the amphitheater, where a grand fire had already been set up. Nico had immediately thrown himself on a seat and closed his eyes, completely taxed form socializing all day long.

Nico had been resting his stuffed stomach full of chocolate when a shadow settled over his face, blocking the occasional flickers of fire from emitting warmth to his cold skin.

When he peeked an eye open, he found Will, rid of his vampire costume and holding his hand out to Nico with a small smile.

“Dance with me?”

Nico blinked, moving to sit up and take in his lively surroundings.

He must have been spaced out for longer than he thought, seeing as Nico could now hear soft music coming from Austin’s signature saxophone. When he looked towards the side, he could make out a few pairs of bodies dancing in the open field beside the theater.

Nico quite embarrassingly yelped when Will took his wrist, startling him from his observations and leading him away from his comfy concrete seat.

Will dragged him along, immediately pulling him in with an arm around his waist and a hand settled with his.

Austin continued playing his saxophone, but once they stepped into the spotlight, he switched up the music to something slower and romantic.

Nico wanted to glare at him, but the realization of just how close Will’s body was to his made him grow a bit embarrassed, especially with their fingers tangled all together and feet planted right atop each other.

The smile on Will’s face made the embarrassment all worth it, though.

“Dance with me?” Will asked once again, this time in a whisper. Nico couldn’t help but flush and timidly nod.

“Fine.” Nico slipped his left hand up Will’s arm, resting his palm right over that warm shoulder. “But first, your hands are all wrong.”

Nico nudged the hand at his waist lower, down to the small of his back (it wasn’t very proper, but Will didn’t have to know). He grinned at the flush on Will’s cheeks, slipping his fingers from Will’s before flattening them out on the space between his thumb and forefinger.

“You don’t actually hold hands, but I rest mine on yours. And your feet aren’t supposed to be on top of mine.” Nico glanced down to their feet, quickly showing Will the starting positions.

They spent only a few minutes going over the basic moves, to which Nico had to deal with Will stepping over his feet every few seconds.

Thankfully, Will was a fast learner, and soon enough, they were dancing together.

“You really do know how to dance.” Will marveled, swaying along with Nico. They quite literally were only swaying back and forth, but it seemed to be enough for Will to get all happy and smiley.

Nico shrugged. “It’s one of those things I learned back then.”

Will grinned, his hold on Nico’s lower back tightening just a bit. “I’m lucky to have such a talented boyfriend.”

Nico rolled his eyes, fighting off the blush that was rapidly crawling up his neck. Then, he narrowed his eyes. “Wait, you asked me to dance without knowing how?”

Will nodded. “It was a fun learning opportunity.”

After that, they stared into each other’s eyes for a few moments. Nico caught sight of a few others joining them, moving into their own version of a slow dance.

There weren’t many couples left during the school year, but that didn’t matter. Everyone made due, taking a partner and stepping into the open field once more.

He almost laughed when he caught sight of Sherman looking very nervous while offering Miranda his hand. The Victor sisters took each other, and Cecil even dragged Alice along while Connor took Julia. Even Valentina was twirling her hair, seemingly coaxing Paolo into dancing with her.

It was also very amusing watching Damien White and Chiara Benvenuti slip over to the very back, probably under the impression of being hidden behind the faint flickers of flames.

When he finally looked up to his own partner, though, they were _much_ closer to one another than before.

Nico couldn’t help but stupidly slip up, his nerves sparking up. “Hi…”

“Hey,” Will said, sounding so smug and irritating that all Nico wanted to do was punch him in his perfect face.

He couldn’t, considering how fluttery Nico felt whenever he looked up at that smug smile.

Almost everyone had gotten up now, swaying along with the dips and highs of Austin’s tune. The fire was even blazing brighter than before, a visual representation of the camp’s good mood.

“Can I kiss you?” Will asks out of nowhere, making Nico stumble over his own two feet.

He quickly composed himself, clearing his throat as a fresh wave of heat ran up his neck. “W-What?”

“I mean,” Will’s brows knit together, his eyes boring deep into Nico’s, “I’d really like to kiss you.”

Nico spluttered, turning his head away from the little smirk playing on Will’s lips. “You’re unbelievable.”

“In case you don’t remember, _you’re_ the one who kissed _me_ first.”

Nico whimpered and pressed his face to the crook of Will’s neck, the teasing suddenly making his knees wobble. Will just chuckled, leading them into a little spin.

It was a vague memory to Nico, but even so, he never brought it up. Will didn’t either, and they just never ended up talking about that kiss right outside the pharmacy.

Well, it looked like they were having that conversation _now_.

“I’m sorry.” Nico turned away, burying his face in his own shoulder. “I don’t know what came over me—"

“It’s fine. It’s not like I haven’t wanted to kiss you senseless ever since I first laid eyes on you” Will reassured, squeezing at their linked hands. “Granted, I always imagined our first kiss to be a lot more romantic, but it was just so _you_ that it was perfect either way.”

_“Will,”_ Nico whined, his cheeks burning and stomach fluttering. He once again tucked himself into Will’s body, desperately trying to hide from the mortification washing over him.

It didn’t last long, as Will’s gentle voice broke through his shame, rid of any teasing and amusement. “Is that a no, then?”

Nico bit his lip. He was desperately curious as to how kissing Will would be- _actually_ kissing him while he wasn’t two seconds away from passing out.

But at the same time, Nico was terrified.

He didn’t know the first thing about kissing, and he was scared of what Will would think when Nico admitted to being a complete and utterly hopeless mess in that department, but then again…

Will had assured him countless times over things as trivial as hand holding, which is what ultimately gave him the courage to mutter out a timid:

“…I don’t know how.”

“That’s ok,” Will reassured, slowly leaning down enough so that his breath was fanning against Nico’s lips, “neither do I.”

Nico gulped, his lips wobbling at their very close proximity. He decided to just swallow down his nerves and close the remaining space between their lips.

This kiss was much more memorable, considering Nico was actually fully conscious of it.

It even lasted more than a second, which made Nico instinctively slip his hand out of Will’s and wrap both his arms around his neck. He even felt Will slip his unoccupied hand over to his lower back, gently holding him as they experimented with their mouths.

Nico had been coaxed to the tips of his toes, but with his arms now around Will’s neck, he was able to pull Will down with him to focus entirely on pressing their lips together.

The kiss… it was just as sweet as before, with extra sparks of _oh_ ’s and _ah_ ’s.

He didn’t really know how else to describe it because the better part of his brain had turned to mush, lost in the press of their bodies and huff of Will’s breath.

There was suddenly a round of applause going around the space, and even a few wolf whistles. Nico and Will broke apart, their tender kiss lost to the teasing remarks and suggestive smiles.

Even through all the attention, Nico found himself feeling exceptionally happy.

Well, _before_ Cecil had bounced over and said a few embarrassing things, and _before_ Austin winked at them over his sax.

Will must have sensed it because he was soon coaxing Nico into another kiss that once again left him breathless and completely giddy-like.

“I got a ton of pictures!” Kayla squealed, sliding in beside Austin. She was also swinging around a rectangular block with splashes of green, yellow, and black. She grabbed it, settling it up to her eye before motioning to Will. “Do a dip!”

Nico’s eyes widened before the mischievous smirk once again crossed Will’s face. “Don’t—”

And sure enough, Nico was cut off as Will twirled him around, leading him into a very low dip. Nico had to grasp tightly onto Will, afraid he might fall and ready to yell at him for having that goofy smile on his face.

But when he finally leaned down and pressed their lips together once more, Nico couldn’t possibly stay mad at him.

* * *

_first time dancing together_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I believe Nico has a sweet tooth for chocolate.
> 
> And yes, that was a disposable camera Kayla had (because I cannot imagine a world where these kids do not at least have pictures to document their memories). 
> 
> But yay! A follow up to Ch. 13! Now kissing has become a regular thing for these two 😘
> 
> _Posted: July 25, 2020._


	21. using pick-up lines

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We hit 6k hits 🥺
> 
> Thanks for finding this fic even remotely entertaining D;

_xxi._

It was Friday night, which meant another night of Capture the Flag.

Normally, Nico would pair himself up with the Apollo cabin, graciously accepting their invitation to join them.

This time, however, it was a mystery as to why he had chosen to side with the opposing team.

Well, not really.

Will had caught him sleeping in one of his _lost_ sweaters, which led him to endlessly tease Nico for a few days. It only came to an end when Nico threatened to return the handful of warm pieces he’d taken, vowing to never wear them again.

The event had been quite embarrassing, which ended up in Will begging him to put one on so they could cuddle up in Cabin 13. Nico did, and they ended up talking about whatever it was that came to mind until curfew, which is when Will begrudgingly left to his own cabin.

Even if they did make amends, he was too prideful to admit switching teams was out of spite, but… it was out of spite.

The teams went as such:

The Red Team consisted of the Demeter, Ares, Apollo, Nike, Hebe, and Tyche cabins.

The Blue Team- his team- was made up of the Athena, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Hermes, Hades, and Nemesis. 

Now, looking over the plan Malcolm had drawn up, Nico was starting to regret being on opposing team as the Apollo cabin for the first time in weeks.

“You want me to _what?”_ Nico gaped, his cheeks slightly flushed and brows scrunched up.

Malcolm raised a brow, his eyes begrudgingly leaving the map under him to land on Nico.

They blinked at each other before he spoke. “To distract your boyfriend.”

Nico would have asked why, but Malcolm had already said the archers were their biggest problem, considering they were usually hiding in the trees, unleashing their shower of arrows from above.

“And how would I do that?”

Someone behind them, Connor, Nico could tell from the sound of his voice, spoke. “Honestly, you could just stand there and Will would spend hours ogling you.”

Nico’s face flamed anew at that. “B-But—"

“You joined us at the last minute,” Malcolm deadpanned, “and I’m not really willing to alter my plan _minutes_ before the game.”

“I can just take Chiara’s previous role!” Nico insisted, his voice high with embarrassment.

Since there were currently twelve occupied cabins at camp, Chiron made sure it was fair game and insisted there be six cabins on each team. Nico had decided to switch teams after everything had been made up, but Chiara was more than willing to swap places with him- something about getting back at Damien for something he didn’t fully pay attention to.

“Chiara was going to guard the flag,” Malcolm said, pointing off to the side. “Julia is taking her place. And you could charge for the Red’s flag, but I’d rather have somebody to take out the archers.” 

Nico crossed his arms, yet resigned to Malcolm’s plan. It did make sense, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t be bitter about it.

Suddenly, a pair of arms planted themselves on his shoulders, followed by another strawberry-scented thing whipping by his cheeks. “Oh, don’t be so grumpy, Nico.”

Nico glanced beside himself, coming face to face with a smug-looking Valentina.

He only frowned at her, which didn’t seem to deter her one bit. “Think of it this way: we’re giving you a free pass to go hide out with your boyfriend… all alone, just the two of you…”

Nico once again flushed, though he was eternally grateful when Malcolm quite noisily closed up his map, shooting them an unimpressed frown. “Which is not the plan.”

Valentina eased off. “Just a thought.”

After a few seconds of mulling things over, Nico grumbled out a _fine_ , shrugging her hold off of his shoulders. He hoped his cheeks weren’t as red as they felt,

Nico narrowed his eyes, his sights catching the tail end of some curly blond hair.

Even if it was nighttime, Will’s golden blond strands were as noticeable as ever, and, not for the first time, Nico wondered why he hadn’t thought to cover them up.

From his spot on the ground, Nico slowly trudged through the forest floor, avoiding the crunchy leaves and brittle twigs scattered throughout the ground.

It was about thirty minutes into the game when Nico finally stumbled upon the three archers. He was surprised they hadn’t spotted him first, but his black clothing and refusal to wear the blue feathered helmet might have helped with his inconspicuous nature.

Well, what he thought was inconspicuous was quickly dissolved as an arrow shot out and landed right beside his arm, catching the access fabric and pinning it to the tree he had been standing beside.

“Got him!” A female voice shouted out, one he recognized as Kayla.

He was stunned for just a second, but that second was enough for all three of the Apollo siblings to slide down their respective trees, aiming a pointy set of arrows right at him.

Nico calmly raised his arm, grabbing the arrow pinning him down and ripping it from his clothes.

Will, who was advancing on him in the middle, waved to both Kayla and Austin. “You guys go. I’ll take care of him.”

The two shared knowing looks, which Nico tried to ignore, though, the previous thing Valentina had said made his tummy start to flutter.

They said something to Will, but Nico was only focused on that impossibly calm gaze fixed on him. They then tucked their arrows away before turning around, running off in the direction of their side of the forest.

Nico probably should have gone after them, but the look Will was giving him was enough to make his lips twitch upwards and fingers drum against the hilt of his sword.

Once they were away and out of earshot, Will grinned. “Well, look who decided to show up.”

Nico raised a brow, eyes trained on Will’s slow and steady steps moving towards him. The arrow was still pointed straight at him, but Will had relaxed his hold on it, his stance no longer composed.

“You know, I didn’t actually think you’d switch teams.” Will smiled this time, his bow lowering to the ground. He had gotten close enough that Nico had to crane his neck up to stare into Will’s eyes, his knees wobbling at the smugness he found in them.

Nico looked away. “I told you I would.”

Will’s proceeding laughter irritated him to no end. “But you got over your grumpy episode when we settled down and cuddled, didn’t you?”

“I still said it,” Nico grumbled, the teasing making his limbs go all tingly feeling. Once Will reached up to pinch his cheek, Nico snapped into action.

Will jumped away, immediately reaching to properly fix the arrow on his bow. Nico knew he wouldn’t actually aim to maim, and Nico wasn’t really looking forward to spending the whole night fighting, so he resolved himself to end the ensuing fight rather quickly.

They went back and forth for a bit, but in under five minutes, Nico had Will laying on the ground, his sword pressed against Will’s throat with both his quiver stuffed with arrows and bow lying off to the side. Will blinked at them before his hands shot up in a _surrendering_ motion.

Nico smiled, moving back and sheathing his sword.

“Alright, you got me.” Will breathed, frowning as he sat up. His hair was tousled and clothes matted with tiny twigs and leaves. Even if he did look like he rolled in a pile of forest gunk, Nico thought he still looked unfairly attractive. “Aren’t you supposed to, you know, take me to jail?”

Nico didn’t say anything, instead, moving to lean against a nearby tree trunk. They sat there for a few minutes, catching their breaths, though once Will looked up at him with a cheeky grin, Nico knew there was something very dumb about to come out of his boyfriend’s mouth.

They stared at each other before Will spoke. “Somebody better call the gods.”

Nico blinked, suddenly wondering if he’d maybe hit Will a little too hard on the head. “What—?"

“Because they’re missing an angel.” Will looked at him with the cheesiest smile he’d ever seen, which was saying something, considering he’d fix Nico with that look any time he spouted something as off-topic and weird as that.

Still, Nico blushed at the implication. “Are you okay?”

“Oh, I’m fine.” Will got this weird glint in his eye. “But you’re even _fine-er_.”

“Is that even a word?”

“Of course.” He held a hand out, which Nico begrudgingly took. Instead of helping himself up, Will yanked him down into his arms, enveloping Nico in a warm embrace. “You’re the very definition of it, baby.”

Nico rolled his eyes, but the chuckle that escaped his lips was enough for Will to snuggle his cold nose into Nico’s neck. They weren’t even sweaty, the cold November air a welcome change from all the hot summer days, even if it was just a bit too chilly.

And as Will kept spouting a few more corny words, he was reminded of the time Will had explained to him what _pick-up lines_ were. The Stolls had quite a few favorites, but sometimes, Will liked to dabble with them and add a few of his own.

He didn’t know what brought the spouting of lines up, but he couldn’t help but join in, as embarrassing as it seemed.

“You’re so sweet,” Nico breathed, hesitating for just a moment before fingering at the strings of Will’s hoodie, “you’re giving me a toothache.”

And for a few terrifying moments, neither of them said anything. It wasn’t until Will burst out laughing that Nico took it upon himself to bury his face into Will’s clothes, cheeks burning with shame.

And while the distant screams of a few campers rung through the air, Nico couldn’t help but take Valentina up on her _thought_ …

* * *

_first time using pick-up lines_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I stand by my headcanon that Will is a big ol' flirt. 
> 
> Also, I hope we see the extent of Will's combat abilities in The Tower of Nero. Obviously he'd use a bow, but wouldn't it be neat if he also knew some hand-to-hand? It's the very least he'd have to know, considering he's _no good_ with a bow and arrow.
> 
> Until next time!
> 
> _Posted: July 29, 2020._


	22. babysitting together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am genuinely pissed at this discourse of _Let's open up schools!_ \- like _why_ is this a debate?? There are around 4k students at my high school, and as you can imagine, the cafeteria is always PACKED. 
> 
> The one's that worry me are elementary schools and middle schools, and from the videos I've seen from some schools that have already started up, these kids are going to end up in the hospital because these politicians listen to other rich white men instead of the actual educated individuals.
> 
> Sorry, I live in the U.S, as you can tell, things are not going good.
> 
> This will be my first election and you better believe I will be voting, and you should too :)
> 
> On to the fic!

_xxii._

“Will!”

Somehow, that perfect little shriek made his heart thump ten times more, which was probably not healthy, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care- Nico just _did_ that to his heart quite effortlessly.

Especially when he was laughing, smiling, or shrieking out of happiness, which was right now.

Will looked up from his musings, nearly going into cardiac arrest when a giant blur of black raced towards him, stopping just inches away from his face.

With how many turns the beats of his heart had taken in the past minute, Will was pretty sure he’d have to go get himself checked out in the infirmary.

The blur of black turned out to be the one and only Mrs. O’Leary, who had her tongue out and was panting a great deal of breath directly on his face.

_Gross._

“Will!” Nico’s shriek vibrated in his ears once more, though he wasn’t sure where exactly they were coming from. His questions were quickly answered when another blur of black slid right off of Mrs. O’Leary’s back, planting itself on the ground with a light _thud_.

His spirits were instantly lifted when he was met with a big smile from his grumpy little boyfriend. “Hey, Neeks.”

“Hi.” Nico greeted, almost in a giddy, breathless-like manner. “Mrs. O’Leary’s here.”

Will glanced at the giant hellhound, then back at Nico. “I can see that.”

If his sarcasm bothered Nico, he didn’t let it show. Instead, Nico began pulling him along by the arm in the completely opposite direction he had been heading to. “Percy came by and wanted to go do something, so I offered to watch over her for the day. You’re going to help me.”

Will blinked. “So you volunteered me to babysit a hellhound?”

“You don’t want to help your boyfriend, then?” Nico blinked up at him, which made Will roll his eyes and allowed himself to be dragged along. For as flustered and shy as Nico became whenever Will pulled the boyfriend card on him, Nico sure had no problem using it for his own advantage.

But even if he had just finished up his shift in the infirmary and was heading back to his cabin to catch a quick nap, being dragged along by his boyfriend to gods know where wasn’t a _terrible_ alternative.

The hellhound, he could have done without, but seeing the giddy smile on Nico’s lips made it all worth it.

“We’re going to go play with her,” Nico said, as a matter of fact. He looked too cute to protest it, and even if he did want to protest, Will was pretty sure Mrs. O’Leary would use him as a cushion if he refused.

“How, exactly?”

Nico glanced at him, his lips formed into the cutest little smile Will had ever seen. “With shields and her favorite giant chewing bone.” 

Will nodded as if that wasn’t one of the weirdest sentences he’d ever heard, watching as Mrs. O’Leary jumped at the mere mention of her bone. He already began to dread just how physically demanding the next few hours were going to be.

When Nico marched them straight into the arena, he immediately went over to grab a few shields. Will was left to look after Mrs. O’Leary, which sort of didn’t sit well with him.

Thankfully, she had just stared at him for the whole time, bringing her tongue up before licking at her snout. Will stepped away, trying to avoid the hellhound slobber dripping from her mouth.

Then, Nico’s laughter made him turn around, finding him holding two different shields. “She won’t bite, you know.”

Will scoffed. “I know. Better safe than sorry, though.”

Nico raised a brow, dropping the shields by their feet. Mrs. O’Leary went to sniff them, to which Nico extended a hand and patted down the silky hair at the top of her head. “See?”

Mrs. O’Leary leaned down, pressing herself low to the ground and giving Nico more access to pet down the slope of her neck. She glanced at him before leaning towards Will, her tail flopping happily against the ground.

Even as Nico smiled up at him, seemingly encouraging him to join him in petting her wild mane, Will frowned. “Nico, no offense, but I don’t really want to stitch back my own arm.”

Mrs. O’Leary whimpered, her ears flopping down and tail slowing to a sad stop. Nico cooed, throwing his arms all over her neck and snuggling right up to her.

“Aww, it’s okay, girl.” Nico briefly looked up, shooting Will a fiery glare. “He’s just a big meanie.”

Will’s lips twitched up, watching the way Nico so effortlessly cuddled up with Mrs. O’Leary. Normally, it’d take some coercing for him to join Will in a well-needed cuddling session, and even then, there’d be much protest and grumpy frowns.

Sleepy Nico was much more willing to snuggle up into Will’s arms, but this Nico was… new.

Nico was openly smiling, his teeth biting into his plush lips whenever it looked like a laugh was about to escape him. Sometimes it didn’t work, a few heartwarming giggles coming out of his mouth as Mrs. O’Leary turned her head, licking at Nico’s cheek and bumping against him with her nose.

Sometime during his musings, Nico had calmed down enough to peer up at him through his unruly bangs. Once their eyes met, Will smiled at him, eliciting a blush from Nico.

“W-What?” He asked, his fingers repeatedly running through Mrs. O’Leary’s fur.

Will grinned. “You’re so beautiful.”

The instant blush that painted Nico’s cheeks a vibrant red was more than satisfactory. Even if he wanted to stare at it for the rest of the day, Nico moved to burry his face in Mrs. O’Leary’s side.

“Will…”

The whine made Mrs. O’Leary perk up, her head thrashing up and nuzzling against Nico’s whole body. There was a time where he’d strongly advise against cuddling up to a hellhound, but it seemed that Mrs. O’Leary was fond enough of Nico to not suddenly harm him in any way.

“I’ve just never seen you this excited,” Will mumbled, his cheeks flushing when Nico peered up at him with one eye.

“I love animals.” Nico suddenly blurted, a small smile playing on his lips. He looked at Mrs. O’Leary for a moment before she twisted onto her back, taking Nico with her and pinning him under her weight.

Will would have gone to help, but the joyful squeals leaving Nico’s lips made him stop and reconsider.

Mrs. O’Leary was now laying on her back with her paws up, tongue sticking out and softly panting into the air. As crazy as it seemed, she kind of reminded him of a regular, albeit _giant,_ puppy.

Attentively, he reached a hand out to stroke the underside of her exposed belly. She made a pleasing sound, her tail wagging wildly below her and ears flapping upwards.

Soon enough, Will was roped into her surprisingly soft fur, vigorously rubbing her stomach as Nico stroked just behind her ear.

“Okay,” Will said after a few minutes of back and forth, easing off of her as she excitedly moved to a stand, running off to circle around the arena, “I can see why you like her so much.”

Nico nodded, taking Will’s offered hand and yelping when Will yanked him up. “Well, that’s one reason.”

“And the others?” Will raised a brow, watching as Nico timidly shrugged.

“I always did like animals, but they never liked me,” Nico mumbled, his eyes moving to frown at his own hands. “They can sense the death on me…”

Will frowned as well, though his was for an entirely different reason than Nico’s. 

Before he could offer some comfort, Mrs. O’Leary came bounding towards them, happily gesturing to one of the shields Nico had carried over just a bit ago. It’s as if she sensed the shift in mood, which she probably had, because now she was nosing at Nico’s side, making him revert back to his previous wide smile and carefree nature.

“Okay, girl,” Nico bent down, picking up the shield before tucking it to his body, “go fetch!”

Will watched as Nico stepped forward, releasing the shield in a similar manner one would do to a frisbee. He rolled his eyes in amusement, though quickly joined in when Nico very _politely_ asked him to.

This went on for a while before Mrs. O’Leary grew tired, opting to spend some time curled up in the shadows and fiddling with her prized bone.

Over the course of the day, both Nico and Will fed her, played with her some more, and even gave her a bath, which ended in lots of spilled water, suds, and a group of wood nymph coming out to shriek at Mrs. O’Leary’s presence.

Even if he’d been wary of her at first, Nico’s adoration for the hellhound had coaxed him into giving her a chance, and because of it, he’d gained a new friend.

At the end of the day, after Percy came and thanked them for keeping Mrs. O’Leary company, they went off to bed without their usual dose of cuddles and kisses.

It’s not that he didn’t want to smoother Nico in affection, but considering they were completely soaked in dirty bathwater and hellhound drool, it was probably for the best.

* * *

_first time babysitting together_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Headcannon time: Nico is absolutely _in love_ with animals, but they've always hated him because of his aura of death :(
> 
> It didn't follow them babysitting much, but I still think it's a cute excerpt. 
> 
> _Posted: August 1, 2020._


	23. working together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah! You might have noticed I changed the chapter count! I've decided to make this a 40 chapter fic, which leaves us with 17 more chapters! 
> 
> Also, this is one of the firsts I love but executed poorly. I might come back and revise it, I'll let you know.
> 
> Enjoy!

_xxiii._

“End of discussion.”

Nico gaped, quickly snapping his mouth shut into an intimidating frown. For what was probably the hundredth time during his time at camp, he was thoroughly annoyed that his death glare didn’t affect Will.

Instead of fear, Will looked at him with his own frown. Nico could admit that they were both more on the stubborn side, which made matters such as these go on with a lot of back and forth.

“Uh, guys?” Kayla interrupted their staredown, waving her hand between the two. Nico tilted his head, only enough to gaze at her from the corner of his eyes.

She was sitting next to Austin, who shared her look of curiosity. Looking at it now, the dining pavilion wasn’t the best place to openly argue with Will.

The topic at hand had come up just the other day when he and Will had watched over Mrs. O’Leary. There was a point in the day when she started shadow traveling back and forth, something of a game for her.

During that period, the topic of Nico’s shadow travel came up, ending with Nico mentioned he’d like to get back into the swing of things.

And, well, Will obviously hadn’t reacted all too well.

The subject was dropped after a few back and forths, though it was brought up again that morning. This time, it had escalated some more from just the previous disapproving frowns Will had shot him.

“Sorry,” Nico mumbled, his gaze traveling across the table for a moment. Kayla just looked between the two of them, her smile oddly strained.

Austin narrowed his eyes, a cheeky look falling over his face. “Trouble in paradise?”

He didn’t entirely know what that meant, but Nico huffed nonetheless, crossing his arms when Will glanced in his direction.

“We’ll take that as a yes.” Kayla drawled, sipping a bit of her drink while simultaneously peering at them from the edge of the goblet.

“It’s something we’ll talk about _later_ ,” Will said, pointedly narrowing his eyes at the end of his sentence. Nico, however, stubbornly returned his look, refusing to be the one to look away first.

Of course, he once again mulled over the fact that he was so easily flustered, because a few seconds of staring into those sky-blue eyes made him turn away, his cheeks feeling warm and tingly.

Will smirked, his arm moving up to stuff a slice of his breakfast into his mouth.

_Idiota._

“I normally wouldn’t ask,” Austin leaned over his plate, his eyes darting dramatically around before settling back on them, “but I’m asking now- what’s going on?”

Nico would have stayed quiet, but Will got that annoyed look on his face once again and opened his mouth. Not wanting to be on the receiving end of one of his doctor lectures, Nico stuck his hand up, smothering Will’s mouth closed before he had the chance to utter a single word.

“Will is being dumb.” Was all he said, stuffing a piece of his own bread in his mouth so he wouldn’t have to elaborate anymore.

Of course, Will frowned, taking Nico’s wrist in his hand and prying it away from his face. “Am not. I just don’t think it’s the best idea to use something so deadly.”

“Shadow traveling is not deadly!”

“Really? What happened the last time you consistently shadow traveled?”

“I was fine.”

“Fading into the shadows is _not_ fine!”

“Okay!” Kayla yelped, shooting them both a frown. “This isn’t going to get anybody anywhere.”

Austin swallowed down the piece of meat he had bitten off, nodding along before waving around his fork. “And if you’re going to fight, do it somewhere but here.”

Will straightened. “I—”

“Plus, you’re being unreasonable,” Austin added, pointing his fork at Will.

Before Nico could smirk in satisfaction or before Will could open his mouth again, Austin jabbed his utensil over to Nico. “And so are you.”

Nico blinked, quickly going over what they had let slip a few moments before. It didn’t seem like much, but it pretty much summed up the whole point of disagreement.

Those short sentences were clearly enough to convey the problem, seeing as Kayla leaned her elbows on the table, regarding them with pointed eyes. “For once, I agree with Austin.”

“Hey!”

“But listen here- you two are not going to argue about this right now. You are going to talk it out in private _right now_ , and you better have solved the issue when you get back, otherwise, don’t bother coming back.” Kayla finished, stabbing her fork into her plate and scooping up a portion of food into her mouth.

Nico was too stunned to move, but the next thing he knew, he was being pulled out of his seat and hauled up onto a broad shoulder.

“Will!” he quite embarrassingly screeched, his whole world turning upside-down as Will began walking straight out of the dining pavilion.

“We better listen to her,” Will muttered, patting the back of his thigh and making a wave of heat crawl up his neck. “She gets cranky if her _advise_ goes unheard.”

A few moments of walking and Will finally put him down, but the ensuing smirk did nothing to soothe Nico’s itch to draw a few skeletons from the grounf….

“I can walk, you know.” Nico crossed his arms, willing his embarrassed flush to go away.

“I’m aware.” Will’s smirk only grew, bringing his finger to poke at Nico’s nose. “But it’s fun when I can manhandle you around.”

He frowned. “Well I’ll tell you right now, you can’t stop me from—”

“I know.”

Nico blinked. “You know?”

“Yeah.” Will nodded, his bright eyes suddenly shifting to the ground. His voice, too, dropped its teasing qualities, sounding more sheepish and tired than angry or upset. “No matter how much I don’t approve or think this is a bad idea… I can’t stop you from doing it.”

That was… unexpected.

Nico didn’t know what to say, and he honestly didn’t think they’d have a chance to head back and finish their breakfast, but now, it looked like that might be a possibility.

Still, the sad look in Will’s eyes made him falter.

Nico jumped when Will’s gaze shot up and met his own. “I just have one request.”

“O-Okay.” Nico croaked, craning his head up when Will stepped closer to him.

Suddenly, he was being pulled into a tight embrace his head resting right in the crook of Will’s neck. “Let me help you.”

Nico was more than a little stunned at this point. “W-What?”

“Just- _please—"_ Will pulled back, grabbing both of Nico’s cheeks and just stroking his thumb over the skin. “Can we do it my way?”

Nico blushed, Will’s pleading voice piercing right through his heart.

Really, he didn’t have a solid idea over how he would improve his shadow traveling, so maybe having two heads _would_ be better than one…

Plus, he didn’t want to see Will look so upset.

Nico awkwardly nodded his head, thinking of something to say, though opted to just return the embrace and seek comfort Will’s warmth. “Fine.”

“This is excessive.” Nico frowned, calling out from over the hill.

Across the field, Will stood under a thick tree’s shadow, his medical bag stuffed to the brim at his feet, along with a towel, a clipboard, and some cookies. There was also a big bottle of Gatorade leaning against the bag, taunting Nico with its bright blue liquid.

Will frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. “And I think it’s not enough.”

Nico bit his lip, turning and walking over under the shade of his own tree. He’d just had his vitals taken, which Nico rolled his eyes at, but was strictly aa part of _Doctor Solace_ ’s guidelines.

Speaking of which, the plan they had conjured up went like this:

They’d start off small. First, Nico would only take himself and travel a short distance, where he’d met Will. There, after every travel, he’d have his vitals taken and written down- and hopefully not pass out.

It’d go on for several days, and the hope was that his vitals would eventually stay the same before and after the travel.

Then he’d graduate to taking another person with him throughout the same distance, and once he’d got that down, they’d talk about going a longer distance.

That’s where they ended the planning, as Will had reassured him they’d continue on when the time was right.

Nico could admit it was a little slow, but Will told him it was better to start with the basics and work his way up from there, considering he’s _a doctor_ and he _knows this type of stuff._

Whatever that means.

“I’m going now,” Nico called from over his shoulder, turning to catch the tail end of Will’s frown.

“Wait—”

The rest was lost to Nico as he jumped into the waiting shadows, falling into their cold embrace.

_Help us._

Nico shook his head, the shrill of the voices right beside his ear sending an icy sensation seeping into his bones.

_Join us._ They hissed, encircling him and clawing at his skin. It felt weird- dirty, even- but still, he pushed forward and willed himself to travel through their curious hands.

Not even a second later, he was suddenly standing right next to Will.

Stumbling and bumping into him, yes, but still standing.

The standing bit might have been due of the arms now wrapped gently around him, though.

“Neeks,” Will spoke above him, and Nico suddenly realized he was staring intently at the ground, head flopped forward and brushing against Will’s chest, “are you okay?”

“Hn.” Was all he could muster, eyes blinking ever-so slowly. His legs felt wobbly, and it was harder to stand, much to Nico’s annoyance.

Then he was being shifted, lowered to the ground by two careful and warm hands.

He didn’t feel much jostling, but he did feel when his head was being gently laid against something warm. Then there was the press of a circular thing to his lips- the Gatorade, Nico realized through his hazy state.

Even if he wasn’t particularly thirsty, he took a few sips, his mind wandering off to nothing in particular.

He heard Will talking above him again- and somewhere throughout that, he realized he’d been laid Will’s lap. It was comforting, but the comfort of it only emphasized that he was about to pass out because he shadow traveled only a few feet.

It was… frustrating.

“I’m scared I won’t get better…” Nico whispered, interrupting whatever it was Will was saying. His limbs were now too heavy to keep up, so he opted to let them fall to his side instead of trying to do whatever it was he was doing.

Will took his hand, rubbing gentle circles into his limp palm. Nico noticed he hesitated before drawing in a slow breath. “You know I don’t approve of this, but it’s not because I don’t think you’ll get any better.”

He lifted their hands up to his lips, pressing a kiss to the back of Nico’s hand. Despite the affectionate gesture, Nico didn’t find himself growing flustered, most likely due to his delirious state.

Still, Will continued. “It’s because we don’t know anything about your powers. We don’t know how far we can push it before it’s too late.”

Nico shook his head. “’M not going to fade from one travel…”

“I know,” Will laughed, his breath brushing right over Nico’s hand. Though the laugh was so weak that it sounded more like a huff, “I just don’t want to lose you. I…”

“Will.” He said, turning into Will’s body. Any other time, he would have blushed over being so close to that toned stomach, but now, he was just too focused on curling his arms around Will’s waist, burying himself in the comfort that Will carried with him.

And maybe they could talk about this later, because right then, Nico was _way_ too tired to focus on one thing.

It most certainly did not help when Will began running his fingers through Nico’s hair.

“Yes?” he sounded amused, if anything, a little strained, though Nico’s eyelids were too heavy to peek open and check. Either way, Nico sighed into the fabric of Will’s shirt, his nose pressing against it and taking in the sweet scent.

“You’re warm.”

And then, he passed out.

* * *

_first time working together_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is mentioned in the Camp Half-Blood Confidential book that Will and Nico are working together to figure out a way to make Nico stop passing out after every shadow travel, so here's the very first of their trials.
> 
> And I feel like people forget that the shadows don't really respect Nico. They call to him and are generally really creepy, but of course, our baby doesn't let anybody know about this problem...
> 
> I also really like the idea of Will using his _doctor voice_ and manhandling Nico around every chance he gets. Sue me :)
> 
> (I don't think it's possible to grow accustomed to it enough to _not_ pass out, considering it is very powerful magic and even Mrs. O'Leary needs to take a nap or two once she's done it. That's why I made him pass out in one short trip, since it's also the first time he's done it since the war, which was months ago at this point.)
> 
> _Posted: August 3, 2020._


	24. making out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can tell you that this chapter has probably been very anticipated :v
> 
> While this whole fic has been generally G rated (though _I think_ I had Sherman curse maybe two times in a previous chapter), this chapter gets a teeny bit steamy _(because Will is a healthy fifteen-year-old boy)._
> 
> Nothing graphic, though!
> 
> Enjoy~

_xxiv._

They were in Nico’s cabin, skipping out on that night’s campfire to enjoy each other’s company.

Nico had changed into his pajamas long ago, which consisted of- surprise, surprise- a whole black ensemble.

Despite the chilly air both outside and inside Cabin 13, Nico wore a simple short-sleeved tee and decently warm bottoms, all topped off with a pair of fluffy black socks on his feet.

Nico normally wore everything baggy, and that’s how he was wearing the ensemble right now, but his bottoms were pulled tight around himself, further outlining his small waist and flat stomach.

It made Nico looked so delicious; he just couldn’t help but stare.

Even if they were there together, they had been sitting in silence for a while now. They were both on Nico’s bed, with Will lounging back against the headboard and Nico sitting crisscrossed at the end of the mattress with a book on his lap.

Will didn’t have anything to entertain himself with, but it was fine. He had been happy enough just watching Nico, admiring his cute button nose and plump lips and dark eyes-

And _wow,_ his boyfriend was _hot._

“Hey, Nico,” Will called, intently watching the sway of his hair as he peered over to him.

“Hm?”

Will patted the space next to him, scooting over to allow some more room. “Come here for a sec.”

Nico raised his brow, but set down his book and scooted over nonetheless. “Why?”

“Just…” Will brushed his hand over Nico’s plush cheek, admiring the way it tinted a light red. “Just admiring.”

His musings were met with a frown. “Is that why you wanted me to come all the way over here?”

Will rolled his eyes. “Yes. I’m sorry your journey across the bed was so exhausting, but thank you for coming by.”

“Dork.” Nico snorted, shoving him further into the pillows supporting his back. The noise just made him grin, urging him to lean off of his reclined position and press his lips right against Nico’s.

The fit was as perfect as ever, and the feeling of Nico’s slightly chapped lips against his was something so familiar and very intoxicating at this point.

Pulling back, Will drank in the sight of his very cute and embarrassed boyfriend.

“Always nice to see some color on you.” He smirked, thumbing at Nico’s plump and pink bottom lip. It was always nice to know that no matter how many times they kissed, the reaction would always bee the same.

“W-What was that for?” Nico whispered, his lower lip jutting out of its place. It was one of those unconscious things Will noticed Nico did. It appeared whenever he was embarrassed, but it also appeared right after a few kisses.

Will shrugged, admiring the sight before he quite wittily replied. “Can’t I just kiss my boyfriend?”

Nico let out a sigh, collapsing down onto Will’s chest. He unconsciously wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling closer and pressing a kiss to the top of his silky black hair. “No.”

After a few minutes of silence and rubbing circles into Nico’s side, their cuddling was interrupted by Nico’s shifting.

Nico wormed himself away from Will’s arm, sitting up with his knees pressed into the mattress and eyes boring straight into Will’s. Before he could ask what he was thinking, Nico grabbed him by the collar of his sweatshirt and pressed their lips together once more.

Will quickly got over his surprise, closing his eyes and moving to place a hand right on Nico’s slim neck, his fingers brushing against the hair on the back of his head.

He took the chance to press a little deeper, tilting his head and guiding Nico into a little tilt of his own.

Once they found the perfect angle, their lips seemed to slot perfectly together.

It was a few moments later when Will built up the courage to press his tongue against the seam of Nico’s lips, gently coaxing those pretty little lips open.

Eventually, they parted for him, allowing his tongue to slip right into Nico’s warm and wet cavern.

The ensuing mewl Nico let out made his heart pound ten times faster.

In the heat of the moment, Will found himself grasping onto Nico’s hip. He could feel the hipbone pressing right against his palm, jutting out of his cool skin. He made a mental note to up the portions on Nico’s meal plan.

Somewhere during his thoughts, Nico had slowly and possibly unconsciously slung his leg over Will’s, which meant Nico was now sitting straight on his lap.

Will pulled him close, grinning as he brought both hands up to settle against Nico’s waist. Really, he should have not dipped his hands any lower than they already were, but he couldn’t help and steal a feel at the smooth skin right underneath that oversized tee.

Nico moved his hands from his collar to wrap around his neck, a few fingers brushing against his hair and sending shivers down his spine.

_Wow…_

Will hummed, slowly pulling away from Nico’s plush lips. It was difficult, mostly because he couldn’t find it in himself to leave his place on his boyfriend’s mouth, but also because he was rather comfy with Nico’s weight all over him.

However, breathing was still a necessity.

Nico’s soft puffs of breath blew against his face. They were so close that Will could almost feel the fluttering of Nico’s eyelashes against his skin, but still, Will pulled him impossibly closer.

“You’re beautiful,” Will smiled, hooking his finger through the fabric of his baggy bottoms. His _impossibly_ attractive bottoms- all baggy everywhere but tight in the right places…

Nico flushed, burying his face right in Will’s neck. It only served to make him smaller, which also served to make Will coo and lean into his very cuddly boyfriend.

“Stop it,” Nico muttered, pawing at Will’s hoodie. Unlike Nico, Will hadn’t gotten a chance to change into his sleepwear, which left him in a comfy hoodie and jeans.

Not that he cared- he’d fallen asleep multiple times in some scratchy scrubs and even bent over a hardwood desk with papers sticking to his skin. The point was, he could quickly become comfortable in just about anything. Nico sure didn’t mind, seeing as he was curling up right under his arm.

Will smirked. “Now I can’t compliment my adorable boyfriend?”

Nico swatted his hand away when he tried to pinch his cheek, and he couldn’t try it a second time, seeing as Nico immediately wiggled away, going back to leaning over Will.

He had a feeling that if he pointed out Nico’s position on his lap, the boy would turn as red as a tomato, and while he _did_ like seeing him so flustered, Nico would probably put a hold on their kisses for a while.

And he liked doing that _much_ more than admiring Nico’s reddened cheeks.

This time, Will was the one who leaned up, capturing Nico’s slightly swollen lips before he could retort with something new.

The mewl was just the same, sending an excited little shock right down Will’s spine. His hands traveled once again, this time wandering enough to slip his thumbs under the fabric of Nico’s tops.

He kept his touch as minimal as possible, desperately trying to keep his excitement at an appropriate level. He didn’t want to scare Nico away, considering they might be moving a teensy bit fast…

But Nico looked to be enjoying it, even if Will was taking extra caution to not do something _indecent_ , as Nico would call it.

He vaguely wondered if making out was something Nico would be absolutely mortified by, but considering when he grew up, it was very likely.

His thoughts went back to the kiss, which was slowly becoming more and more heated by the second. Despite never having done this before, Will easily led the both of them.

But when their tongues lightly brushed against one another, Nico immediately shied away.

_Probably moving a little too fast…_

Slowly, almost unwillingly, Will pulled away. It had gotten just a bit heated since their lips first locked, but even so, the chill of Nico’s cabin sent goosebumps running up his arms.

He probably looked awkward, what with his slight shiver and goofy grin. Will’s mind was still a little mushy, but even if it wasn’t, he was sure he wouldn’t have been able to wipe the grin off of his face even if he tried.

And Nico, _gods,_ Nico was just-

“I-I think curfew is in a few minutes,” Nico said, his eyes lidded and cheeks flushed. They were really red, but it was okay, because he was pretty sure his own cheeks were tinted a bright shade of pink.

“Probably.”

“So,” Nico tilted his head, still a little shy, “shouldn’t you be getting ready to go?”

“I don’t know.” Will caressed Nico’s cheek, smiling when he slightly leaned into the touch. “I rather enjoyed making out with my boyfriend.”

“Is this what that phrase means…?” Nico muttered to himself, raising a few fingers to brush against his wet and swollen lips.

It didn’t occur to Will that this could have been something entirely new to Nico, and he shouldn’t have found it as amusing as he did, but the admission made Will laugh all the same.

Instead of hitting him like Will would have expected, Nico huffed. He then buried himself down and into Will’s chest, playing with the strings to his hoodie.

Will nuzzled his cheek into Nico’s hair, bringing his arm up and around Nico’s waist. The other hand gently rested by Nico’s hip, encasing him in one of Will’s many showers of affection.

“I’ll get going in just a minute.” He said, pressing a quick kiss to Nico’s temple.

“Good,” Nico mumbled, though his previously scandalized tone melted into a softer hum. Will knew if he didn’t get up now, he’d probably end up spending the night.

Nico sure didn’t make leaving any easier, despite his insistence for Will to the clock. He’d have to hide from the harpies if he didn’t leave soon, but maybe spending the night wasn’t so bad…

Besides, it was nice having his own _ball of sunshine_ to cuddle all night long.

* * *

_first time making out_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These boys...
> 
> Anyhow, I had fun writing this! I've never shared a kiss before (;-;) so everything I described is based on what I've read in other fics, etc. I've actually never had a boyfriend before (;-; x2), so I'd say I'm doing a good job of projecting my fantasies onto two fictional characters.
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> _Posted: August 6, 2020._


	25. cleaning together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> K I have most of the chapters planned, I just need like three more prompts :v
> 
> I'm planning on starting an actual fic (not just one-shots) soon, but I want to finish this before I heavily invest in the other.
> 
> Enjoy! This one's a weird one :p

_xxv._

“I’d like to point out that this is not my fault.” Will sternly emphasized, ignoring the brooding frown Nico shot him from half-way across the Ares cabin.

Really, Will liked to think of their situation as something along the lines of the butterfly effect.

Everything had been going smoothly just a few days ago. Will had been sitting on the benches in the arena as an on-call medic, and as much as he liked to think he was being discreet, everyone knew he used that excuse just to stare at his boyfriend for the entire session.

Well, he doesn’t really remember how it happened, but somewhere along the sword fighting and combat training, the topic of _the_ golden chariot came along.

What with Apollo still being MIA, the subject was just a little bit touchy.

And _maybe_ there were still some bitter feelings attached to that whole situation, which is what ultimately led Will into squeezing his way into the conversation.

Of course, once Sherman Yang and Ellis Wakefield caught wind of the topic, they just _had_ to share their input.

Very unwanted input, as Will had quickly dismissed them for it.

But then it just escalated from there, to the point where all three of them were throwing around glares and half-shouting things back and forth.

Their disagreement quickly unfolded into something bigger, which attracted just about anybody in the nearby radius. Nico had tried to defuse the situation, but Will had just waved him away and continued to spout things rather stupidly.

Eventually, Sherman had sworn Ares would destroy the Apollo cabin in Capture the Flag, and Will dismissed it with a scoff. It eventually led into them proposing a bet, which Will, heated in the moment, took said bet.

That following Friday was brutal, and Ares ended up winning, after lots of curses, bloodshed, and more curses.

And that’s where he was right now, cleaning the Ares cabin from head to toe.

Admittedly, it might have been his fault.

_“It’s not?”_ Nico growled, but Will couldn’t take him seriously. He very much sounded and looked like an angry kitten.

“No.” Will finally settled on, haphazardly throwing the ball of socks in his grasps off to the side.

Nico just glared at him, as if saying _really?_

“Nico, you know only _I_ have to do this, right?” He asked, because Sherman and Ellis were bitter enough to make Will and Will only clean up their mess.

“Then why did you invite me?”

That made Will frown, though he couldn’t help the amused twitch to the corner of his lips. “I specifically told you _‘don’t come’_ and you said _‘don’t tell me what to do’_ and followed me here.”

He caught Nico’s cheeks flushing a pretty pink, which was quickly overcome by another glare. “You’re really stubborn.”

Will rolled his eyes. “Look who’s talking.”

That earned him a face-full of bedsheets.

When they slipped away from his face, he was met with a smirking Nico. “Fix the beds.”

Will sighed, but did as he was told. He didn’t want to lose his only form of company, anyways.

After that was sorted out, Will turned with the intent of placing books back in the small bookshelf the Ares kids owned, but was immediately frozen in his tracks when he caught sight of Nico.

He was standing on the tips of his toes, desperately trying to hang what looked to be a mace up on a wall containing various other weapons. He had a hand to steady himself on the small desk underneath him, his body pressing into the wooden edge.

Nico’s tongue even stuck out from his plump lips, something he did whenever he was concentrating very hard.

Will came up to him, leaning his body over Nico’s and reaching to take the mace right out of his hand. He steadied himself with a hand on Nico’s hip, grinning when his boyfriend stilled right under him

He didn’t press any closer, simply focusing on hooking the mace up onto its designated spot.

It fit right into the clasp, hooking securely to the wall. Still, Will let himself lean over Nico for just a bit more, enjoying the feel of his cool skin underneath his fingertips.

Eventually, he had to pull back, though not without sending Nico a grin and a wink. “You could just ask for help next time.”

Nico swatted him away, blushing and grumbling something along the lines of: _“All of you are too tall for your own good.”_

“Hey,” Will called, grabbing the broom he had set aside earlier, “I like my fun-sized Nico.”

For the hundredth time that day, Nico rolled his eyes, moving to grab a cleaning cloth from the bucket of cleaning supplies. He started to dust off the contents of the table beneath him, sometimes even reaching up and dusting off one of the dangerously sharp weapons.

Will himself didn’t start sweeping the floor, instead using the broom to swipe under the beds, kicking out a lot of random junk and clustered up dust.

It went on like that in silence for a few minutes, with Nico dusting things off and Will clearing the place underneath every single bed.

He stopped when he pushed something out of one particular bed, his eyes widening at the two pieces of metal that stared up at him, one brandishing a barbed red tip.

“Whoa.” He bent down to pick the pieces up, vaguely registering Nico’s curious gaze. “It’s Clarisse’s spear.”

Nico paused his dusting, moving across the cabin to eye at the pieces in his hands. Will remembered the day very clearly- how could he not? The day Percy Jackson was claimed would always be stuck in the back of his head.

And because he was one of the only people spared from Clarisse’s wrath that week.

“I thought she still took her spear with her.” Nico recounted, eyeing over the wall of weapons.

“This is her first one.” Will waved it around. “She’s had like three. Percy actually broke this one.”

“Figures,” Nico mumbled, poking at the barbed tip. It briefly lit up, though the spark quickly died down.

“Careful, it’s electric.” He frowned. “I’ve never been on the receiving end of it, but I’ve had to treat some of the wounds that came from it.”

“Why do you think it’s still here?” Nico asked, taking the top piece from his hand and eyeing it wearily.

“Ares gave it to her. She was really upset after it broke, but she made me promise never to speak of it to anyone.” He made a gesture of zipping his lips shut, locking them and throwing the key somewhere behind him.

Nico stared at him for a minute before speaking. “I didn’t know you and Clarisse were friends.”

Will shrugged. “She was in the infirmary a lot.”

After a minute of no response, Will looked over to his boyfriend. He was examining the spear, but it wasn’t his usual focused look. It was more of a distracted look.

“Clovis showed me one of the councilor meetings.” Nico suddenly said, looking off to the ground. “You were wrapping and unwrapping a bandage around your wrist. Clarisse was getting worked up, but you calmed her down and even held her by the wrist. Nobody does that and keeps their fingers.”

Will blinked, wondering why the sudden change in conversation. “I guess we’ve hung out a bit.”

Another beat of silence.

This time, Will couldn’t help his curiosity. “Hey, Neeks, are you okay?”

“I just realized I don’t know much about you.” Nico tried for a smile, but his lips visibly wobbled. “Sorry, that was stupid—”

“It’s not stupid.” Will quickly reassured, taking both the pieces of spear and laying them down on the bed next to them. “And you know all there is to know about me. Sure, there may be some things, but I’ll tell you all you want to know. Just ask away.”

That got Nico to smile, though he turned away and picked up his cleaning cloth once again. “Can we do that later? I’m supposed to be mad at you.”

Will grasped Nico’s wrist, twirling him around and stealing a kiss before leaving him to go back to dusting. “Of course, sweetheart.”

* * *

_first time cleaning together_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this was an odd one, but it really is essential to find out how your partner cleans, or else you might end up with someone who hasn't cleaned their bathroom in three years ;-;
> 
> Also, Clarisse and Will! I think they are good friends, but they like to keep it on the down-low. 
> 
> How do you picture Clarisse? I always pictured her as she is in the movie, and uh, unpopular opinion, but the movies weren't _bad._ They're only bad because they didn't follow the books, but looking past that, I did enjoy them.
> 
> Don't kill me, au revoir!
> 
> _Posted: August 9, 2020._


	26. giving neck kisses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've mentioned it before in the comments, but I think it'd be wise to repeat it up here: The reason I don't actually title the chapters to make it easier to navigate is because each chapter is like a little surprise! You only get to find out what the big deal is as you read along, which I think is exciting!
> 
> Though, I'll most likely title them when the fic is complete. That way, the readers who have been with me since day one will still get their surprise with every update!
> 
> With that, I present you this pile of word vomit!

_xxvi._

“It’s cold,” Will complained before, quite gracelessly, falling flat on his face.

Nico bit back a smile, plopping himself right next to Will on his neatly made bed. “It’s November.”

Will turned his head, his face smothered against the pillow and hair tousled even more than it normally was. He didn’t say anything, just stared at Nico with a half-lidded eye and a slight frown to his lips.

Nico raised a brow but didn’t comment. He was kind of used to Will randomly staring at him by this point.

_Ok, that was a lie._

“You’re technically a prince, you know that, right?” Will suddenly asked, his face no longer half-smothered into the pillow. Nico debated grabbing another pillow and shushing him that way, but Will would probably just laugh and tackle Nico down onto the bed.

“Yes, I know.” Nico simply said, not wanting to draw too much attention to the topic. Unfortunately, Will already got that annoying sparkle in his eyes as he slowly inched his arm around Nico.

That was one thing Nico noticed Will liked to do. He was very handsy, taking every opportunity he could to wrap his arms around either Nico’s waist or hip.

The touch was never… _inappropriate,_ and he always made sure that Nico was okay with it. He’d never say it out loud, but Nico liked feeling small against Will’s touch. It made him feel very fuzzy and warm, and whenever Will rubbed slow circles into his skin, it soothed him like nothing else…

But when they were alone, the touch felt much more… _lively,_ if that made sense.

“I’m just saying,” Will rolled over, lying on his back and staring up at Nico very intensely, “you’re like a dream.”

Nico blinked.

“I mean, you’re perfect in every sense.” Will grinned, running his hand up to Nico’s waist before dipping down to his hip.

Nico shook his head, bringing his hand up to press against Will’s forehead. “A-Are you sure you’re not sick?”

“Positive.” Will took his hand, his thumb tickling the skin of Nico’s palm.

He was being coaxed into kneeling on the bed beside Will, which begrudgingly had him toeing off his shoes before shifting closer to where Will was trying to get him to.

“But really,” Nico settled on the bed, his knees making the mattress dip under his weight, “it’s like you came straight out of my dreams.”

Nico scoffed. “The nightmares, I’m guessing.”

“Not at all.” Will squeezed at his hip, making Nico jerk and bump his knees into Will’s side. Will just smiled, continuing on without so much as a faltering look. “You’re brave, strong, and incredibly adorable.”

Nico felt the telltale rush of blood pooling in his cheeks. He shook his head once again, ready to protest, but Will just held a finger up to his lips.

“Don’t even say you’re not the cutest little thing that’s ever walked the earth, because that would be such a big lie.”

This time, Nico slipped his hand from Will’s grip with the intention to smack him, but Will quickly grabbed both of his wrists and held them between them, another annoying grin spreading across his lips.

Nico frowned, looking away from Will’s dumb face. Every single one of Will’s grins made Nico’s limbs just a little bit weak, and at this point, he was ready to collapse into the warm mattress and ride out his embarrassment tucked into the fabric of Will’s hoodie.

But Will was insistent, and the next thing he knew, he was swinging his leg over Will’s hips and practically _straddling_ his lap.

Nico’s face burned.

“And now you’re a prince,” Will whispered, brushing his hand against Nico’s flaming cheek. “Very fitting.”

Once again, Nico shook his head. “Will…”

“Yes, your highness?”

Nico couldn’t help but laugh. “Stop talking.”

And with that, Nico leaned down and pressed their lips together.

Will let go of his wrist, eagerly leaned into the kiss. The hand that had brushed against his cheek now slipped down to cup his jaw, leaving a flurry of tingles down its path.

He didn’t know how long they spent there, kissing and pulling back for a quick breath before diving back in.

Nico always found himself losing his trail of thought whenever they kissed for longer than a few seconds, which should have been alarming, but the warm bliss that coursed through his veins was more than enough to excuse his scattered thoughts.

And then Will was leaning forward, pressing Nico against the hand on his back and shifting them until Nico was the one resting against the mattress, his back sinking into the softness and legs spreading wide enough to accommodate Will.

Will pulled away for just a second, but it was enough to get a good look at him. The sun was low in the sky, painting the cabin in a golden light. It caught in Will’s hair, making the blond curls and tan skin look even more angelic than they already were.

Nico could only smile into the next kiss, a burst of warmth seeping from his heart and spreading down to the pit of his stomach.

He chalked it up to the Apollo cabin’s natural heater aura.

But then Will was trailing away from his lips, kissing his way over to the side of his face before trailing down to his neck and- _oh,_ that was a different feeling…

The kisses didn’t stop, instead, they turned into little nips and licks to the skin on his neck. Nico even craned his head to the side, allowing more access to Will’s wandering lips.

Nico didn’t know what to do with his hands, but the only natural response seemed to be to bury them in Will’s messy hair, gripping and tugging whenever his lips brushed over a particularly sensitive spot.

Then Will paused at the space where his shoulder met his neck, breathing against his skin and sending shivers down Nico’s spine. After a second of catching his breath, Will began to trail kisses back up Nico’s neck.

This time he began to intently suck on Nico’s skin, eliciting an embarrassingly high mewl that caused him to tighten his hold on Will’s hair.

Will huffed a laugh but continued to roam around his neck. Nico definitely felt it when Will added his teeth to the equation, nipping against some of his skin before sucking down on the worn and delicate flesh.

_“Will…”_ Nico breathed, and it vaguely occurred to him that Will was biting him.

The prospect of it made Nico want to ask what Will was doing, but it wasn’t a _bad_ feeling…

Will eventually eased off on the nipping, pressing a kiss to the abused skin before trailing upwards once again.

He repeated the action another two times, each placed higher on his neck and even back into the space just underneath his ear. Nico didn’t think it was possible to be so sensitive there, but he was learning quite a few things about himself with Will’s help.

Somewhere along the way, Will pressed a chaste kiss to Nico’s lips before moving to repeat the process on the other side of his throat.

By the end of Will’s weird and sudden fascination with his neck, Nico felt like his bones had been replaced with jelly.

Will leaned back, probably to question why Nico was so flustered and out of breath, but all he did was stare at Nico with this weird look in his eyes as they trailed from his eyes to his lips and down to his neck.

Will grinned. “You okay there, sunshine?”

_Yeah,_ Nico thought, the lingering bliss coursing all the way down to his toes. With a shudder and a shaky nod, Nico tried to voice his previous thought, but ended up letting out a throaty, _“Mm.”_

That made Will blush, the red blending nicely with his tan cheeks. It wasn’t often that Nico made Will blush, so he savored the sight and momentarily forgot his own embarrassment.

Will scratched the back of his neck, leaning back and off of the bed before offering Nico a hand. “We better, uh, go, before… before people start asking questions.”

Nico looked to the side, his eyes blinking a few times before they adjusted to the very light amounts of sunlight shining in through the window. The sun was now low in the sky, only a few minutes away from plunging them into darkness.

Even if Nico did want to stay in and maybe cuddle back at his cabin (because it was _way_ too bright in the Apollo cabin, even at night), he knew it was better to show up at the campfire.

Plus, Kayla and Austin were bound to burst in at any moment to pick up their instruments, and Nico did _not_ want to explain why he was so red-faced and boneless.

So Nico took Will’s hand, pulling himself up and willing the blush on his face and tingles down his spine to _go away._

“O-Okay.”

* * *

_first time giving neck kisses_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish someone would kiss my neck >:(
> 
> And yes, Nico did wake up to a bunch of hickeys littering his neck in the morning.
> 
> (Thank you for the 8k+ hits~)
> 
> _Posted: August 12, 2020._


	27. fighting together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof I finished this just now so I might come back and edit it because I don't really like how it flowed in the end...
> 
> And I'm just going to say (in advance) thank you for 9k hits!!
> 
> (I know I said I'd mention the hickeys in this chapter, but I decided to do that in the next chapter. It's more fitting to do so~)

_xxvii._

“…and foster important team-building skills.” Chiron finished up his monologue, folding his hands neatly in front of himself.

The very basics of this new _three-legged race_ went as follows: There would be golden apples strewn all over the place, and in order to win, pairs of two would have to find three of those and return them to the meadow right by the forest.

Not much else was said about it, only that it would be a nice surprise for the campers.

Beside Chiron, Harley could barely contain himself. Nico was sure he was ready to pop at any second, and he was right, considering Harley proudly jumped in front of Chiron and waved his hands around. “And I designed it!”

That got everybody to straighten up, their eyes growing wide and faces alarmed. Nico himself could feel the beginnings of worry etching into his expression, though he quickly concealed it.

“Chiron.” Malcolm raised his hand, though he was already talking over the worried whispers that fell over the dining pavilion. “This is a bad idea.”

“Is not!” Harley stuck his tongue out, immediately twisting his frown into a wide smile. “It’ll be fun!”

Chiron placed his hands on Harley’s shoulders, most likely to keep him from outright exploding with excitement. “Do not worry, Malcolm. As Harley has put it, the experience will be something new.”

“And it’s in the Labyrinth!” Harley threw his hands up, smile wider than ever.

Nico’s stomach churned at that, as did everybody else’s. This time, the pavilion blew up into many complaints and much disapproval. He even felt Will stiffen next to him, and both Kayla and Austin wore matching looks of worry on their faces.

Harley’s eyes immediately watered, which cause Nyssa to run up to the head table and throw everyone a nasty glare.

“Don’t worry, Harley. We’re just a little spooked, but we’re just as excited as you!” Nyssa reassured, turning to glare at them from behind Harley’s back. _“Right guys?”_

A chorus of vague approval rang throughout the air, though it was enough to get Harley to smile and start bouncing off the walls once again.

“We must not turn a blind eye to what is right in our camp.” Chiron pointed to the ground before folding his hands behind himself. “I have stepped inside the Labyrinth myself, and it is different—”

“How so?” Malcolm asked, eyes narrowing and lips downturned.

“You will see when you step in for yourself.” Chiron smiled. “You will be allowed to choose your partners for this round, but the next one will be assigned.”

After that, Chiron let them get back to their lunch. The chatter wasn’t as lively as it was before, but Nico just chalked it up to nerves.

At some point during their lunch, Will leaned over, resting his head on Nico’s shoulder and shooting him the most obnoxious smile he possibly could.

“Can I help you?” Nico raised a brow, poking at some of the carrots Will had insisted he eat.

Will just smiled wider, moving to take his hand from underneath the table. “Will you be my partner?”

Nico would have tried harder to bite back the smile playing on his lips, but Will had recently told him Nico’s smiles drove him crazy, and he wasn’t opposed to making Will lose his mind every once in a while. “If I must.”

That elicited an even brighter smile from Will and left Nico fending himself from the ensuing need to kiss his stupid face.

“So what’s the plan?” Will asked, leaning down to secure the bronze bands around his right leg and Nico’s left.

Nico shrugged, glancing over to the other campers clasping themselves together. A few curses were going around, especially from those who were already joint together and working on a simple walking rhythm.

They’d have to do that, too. Hopefully with a lot less cursing.

“I don’t really know.” Nico kicked the dirt underneath them with his unoccupied foot, smiling apologetically when it flew up into Will’s face. “If it’s the Labyrinth we’re going through, we can’t make much of a plan.”

Will checked their bands one more time before sitting back up. “Well, Chiron did say it was different in there.”

Nico nodded. “We’ll have to wait and see, then.”

They stood, just to get a feel for what they were working with, but being so close to one another emphasized the height difference between them.

Nico blinked before Will was smirking down at him, moving to rest his elbow right atop Nico’s shoulder.

Two seconds into the night and Nico was already dreading being shackled to Will Solace for an undisclosed amount of time.

He shoved Will’s arm from his shoulder, eliciting a laugh from the blond.

“Let’s try walking.” Nico proposed, hiding his flushed cheeks well enough for Will not to comment on them.

Will nodded, and they went on. It was a little awkward at first, what with Will’s longer strides and Nico’s shorter ones. It was to be expected, but it was still annoying.

Eventually, they worked out a rhythm. Will would slow down his strides while Nico would take larger ones, which kind of got tiring after a bit, but he was sure he could push past the discomfort while they were fighting for their lives.

They then armed themselves, shrugging on the same armor they used for Capture the Flag, minus the horrid helmets. Will slung a quiver stuffed with arrows onto his back, followed by a bow that poked Nico every now and then. He also had a smaller bag of medical supplies slung right atop the quiver’s strap.

As always, Nico stuck with his Stygian sword. It rested against his left hipbone, easy to access and only proving a tiny bit of a hazardous when it was time to unsheathe the blade.

They were both right-handed, and after a short discussion, it was decided that Nico would be tied by his left leg so that he had free range when _swinging his sword around_ , as Will had put it.

Chiron called them over to the meadow by Zeus’ Fist, quickly going over the rules and giving them a few brief words of encouragement as well as forbidding them from killing one another.

Apparently, Harley and Nyssa were sitting this one out, and when Connor Stoll called them out for it, Chiron assured them it was for _reasons._

“Have fun!” Harley squealed, waving them off as Nyssa peeled him an orange.

Before anybody could say anything else, the meadow shook. Nico’s hand immediately flew to the hilt of his sword, but held off on doing anything when a few dark lines etched themselves across the grass.

He felt Will grab his hand before the ground disappeared below them, plunging them into the Labyrinth.

The first thing that happened was rather embarrassing.

Nico’s arms had immediately flown to wrap around Will’s torso, shrieking as they fell into the darkness. He was a little jumpy around dark abysses, especially if he was falling _into_ them…

But then their feet touched the ground, and Nico guessed Will hadn’t been expecting it either, because the next thing he knew, they were both on the ground and a flare of pain shot through his entire body.

Somewhere above them, Harley screamed out, “Go, go, go!”

Once Nico recovered from the unexpected plunge, he noticed the hole they’d fallen through had disappeared, replaced with a plain dirt ceiling.

He turned to the shifting beside him, squinting through the remanents of dirt they had kicked up when they initially landed. The lighting was dim, but it was enough to catch a glimpse of Will’s scrunched up face.

“We could have stuck the landing a little better…” Will groaned, rolling back to rest against his quiver.

Nico shook himself off, sitting up and glancing around themselves. His survival instincts immediately kicked in, eyes scanning the earthy walls and ears listening for any suspicious noise.

There were wooden beams crossing on the ceiling and planting themselves on the ground, providing sturdy enough support for the ceiling to not cave in on them. Everything else was dusty, with dirt coating most of the walls and bigger chunks of it crumbling down to the floor.

Nico only then noticed that the light came from a few torches hung up on the wall.

Will joined him a second later, though instead of focusing on their surroundings, his eyes immediately landed on Nico. “Are you okay?”

Being fretted over by Will was something he should have been used to by now, but it still made him blush whenever Will shot him that intense doctor gaze. “Fine. Just a little shaken from the fall.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” Will rubbed his eyes, blinking a few times. He might have been blinking through a thin haze, as Nico himself had to take a moment to reorientation himself.

With more struggling and murmuring than necessary, they were on their feet and ready to go.

Well, Will had to take a moment to shake the dirt off of his clothes, but when he was ready, he looked on determinedly. “Which way?”

Nico looked to the trail on his left, then to his right, but both of them lead to black walls of nothingness. They looked identical, which didn’t help at all. “We could go either way.”

Will nodded, his eyes wandering to the path on their right. “Let’s go right. Maybe it’ll be the _right_ way.”

“I can’t believe you.” Nico suppressed a huff, following along with Will’s strides. It had gotten a bit easier to keep a steady pace, but there was still running and fighting to worry about…

Will reached up and plucked a torch from the wall, using it to light their way through the murky pathway.

“This would make a nice date.” Will hummed after a few seconds, smiling down at him with his goofy grin and playful eyes. Nico just rolled his in response, his elbow at the perfect height to dig into Will’s ribs.

But being the nice person that he was, Nico only lightly jabbed at him.

“Rude.” Will winced, though reached to link their hands together. Nico bit back his smile, simultaneously scanning their surroundings for anything other than dirt and shadows.

A few minutes of walking in silence and questioning their safety, Nico let his mind wander.

True to Chiron’s word, the Labyrinth felt off. Not a _bad_ off, just something different from the last time he had been in it.

Somehow, it didn’t feel so much like death. The looming promise of death was no longer present, instead replaced with something more… soothing.

“It _is_ kind of different in here.” Nico absentmindedly mumbled, running his fingers over the grooves on the walls.

He felt Will looking at him, gaze as intense as ever. Nico wondered if Will had always been so intense, or if Nico was just that timid when it came to him.

“What’s the difference?” Will asked, his curls bouncing as he glanced around.

Nico thought for a moment, his lips pursing together and eyes narrowing at the pitch-black corridor in front of them.

“It’s more… fresh?” Nico raised a brow, and at Will’s questioning hum, Nico shrugged. “I don’t really know how to explain it, but it’s cleaner in here.”

“Cleaner?”

Nico was about to respond with something akin to an _I don’t know_ , but before he could, a distant wail reverberated down the long pathway.

They stopped for a moment, listening to the oddly shrill battle cries that came from right in front of them.

“Do you hear that?” Will leaned down, his breath tickling Nico’s skin.

Nico nodded. “Sounds familiar.”

“Should we go check it out?” Will frowned, staring off into the darkness.

After a moment of consideration, Nico tugged on their linked hands. “Let’s go.”

And with that, they started hurriedly towards the source of the noise. It took them a surprisingly little amount of time to figure out a running pattern.

Somewhere along their hurry, a bright and white light began to engulf them from all sides, blinding Nico for a short moment.

Will slowed them to a stop, and when Nico blinked through the newfound brightness, he was met with an endless sea of fluffy clouds.

There was just a short amount of gray ground in front of them before it suddenly disappeared into a blue sky littered with white clouds. Surrounding them was the same gray ground they stood on, and when Nico tilted his head upwards, the very peak of a mountain sharpened to a point above them.

The air had grown crispy and cold, nipping at his skin and freezing his limbs. It wasn’t _the worst,_ but when Will shivered violently beside him, he was once again reminded of how bad Will hated the cold.

“We’re up high.” Will took a deep breath in, looking around with furrowed brows. “Judging by the thin—”

From out of nowhere, a blur of _danger_ sprung from their side, the _swoosh_ of a sword just barely grazing the both of them before Nico pushed them backward.

Both Ellis Wakefield and Sherman Yang stood before them, both wielding their weapons and looking just as war hungry as ever.

Nico immediately unsheathed his sword, fending off the two before they actually managed to hurt either of them. Will leaned back from their swings, narrowly avoiding the blades by just a few inches.

It was difficult to fight while bound to someone else, and he could tell Ellis and Sherman were having the same problem, given their occasional staggers and narrow misses of each other’s hilts.

Nico hadn’t noticed before, but it was definitely harder to breathe. Thankfully, both Ellis and Sherman eased off of them for a moment, allowing Nico to step back and catch his breath.

Will nudged him then, gesturing off to the side. He was guiding them back while the other two were just as slowly advancing on them, most likely trying to push them in a corner, but Nico took the chance and looked up.

A glowing apple shined right back at him, most definitely golden and shiny. It was perched on a small cliff on the side of the rugged walls, taunting them with its glinting surface.

Sherman pointed his blade at them, a frown etched deep into his features. “Don’t even think about it, di Angelo.”

“We just got done dealing with the Victor twins,” Ellis spat, pushing them closer into a wall, “we’ll deal with you two easily enough.”

“Did you…” Will blinked, looking around before settling back on the pair in front of them. “Did you guys throw them off the cliff?”

They both grinned.

“You realize we’re not _actually_ fighting to the death, right?” Will sounded stressed, probably to the incoming influx of patients that were bound to appear after the game.

“They’re fine.” Sherman swung his sword, both of them stepping forward once more. “Couldn’t get rid of them if you tried.”

With that, Sherman swung downwards while Ellis swung sideways. Nico quickly blocked Sherman’s swing while Will held Ellis off with the grip of his bow, which had been drawn fast enough that Nico had completely missed it.

Ellis’s sword had managed to slip between the string and wood, keeping it firmly grasped between the two. It allowed Will to disarm him without much effort, twisting the bow in his grasp and effectively loosening Ellis’s hold on the grip of the sword.

It didn’t do much, seeing as Ellis quickly recovered.

Before Nico could do much else, Will was pulling him aside, simultaneously saving him from the next swing Sherman took and making him stumble against their binds.

“Will!” He yelped, nearly jabbing himself in the leg with his sword.

Will smiled apologetically, holding his bow far from himself. “Deep breaths, Neeks. The air is thinner up here, so we probably shouldn’t engage in much.”

Nico frowned, taking a moment to glance at the Ares boys.

It wasn’t noticeable at first, but now that he looked, both Sherman and Ellis were a little wobbly on their feet. Their movements were sluggish and they were taking deep breaths with less and less time apart, something Will had taught him would eventually lead to loss of consciousness.

He met Will’s eyes, a silent agreement passing between them.

“Are you two done with the _lovey-dovey eyes_ yet?” Sherman teased, jerking his neck to the side and grinning when it loudly pooped back.

“Please, when are you and Miranda _not_ looking at each other with love-sick eyes _?_ ” Will sassed back, effectively grating Sherman’s nerves.

Nico straightened himself up, his fist closing around his sword and feet planting themselves on the crumbly ground, ready to pounce off to the side.

Unfortunately, before they could do much else, a deep and eerie noise vibrated throughout the air.

They all paused, looking up to the sky where the sound had come from. Just then, a chunk of the ceiling fell through the cavern they had emerger from, creating a ramp into nothingness right in front of the cave’s entrance.

“The conch?” Will asked, still gazing off into the blue sky.

“There’s no way some team already found three apples,” Nico grumbled, sheathing his sword and grumpily wrapping his arms around himself.

He’d forgotten just how cold it was.

Will also slung his bow back over his shoulder, immediately moving to engulf Nico in a warm hug. “Something happened, then.”

“Looks like you should get going, doc.” Sherman and Ellis were suddenly _very_ close, their eyes sharing a mischievous glint before they were fixed back on them.

Nico only had time to open his mouth before there were two hands on him, shoving him back and against a protruding groove in the ground.

_“Wait—”_ He hadn’t realized how close to the edge of the cliff they were, but now that they were stumbling off of it, Nico wished he had the foresight to _not stand so close to it._

Nico immediately reached for Will, burying his face in his neck as Will wrapped his arms around him, one pressed to the curve of his back and the other to the back of his head.

The laughs of both Sherman and Ellis were quickly fading in his ears the longer they fell, and with one quick peek below them, Nico was met with an endless sight of fluffy clouds.

“Those jerks…” Will grit out, maneuvering them so that Will was the one with his back to the ground.

“Next time,” Nico murmured, taking a big whiff of Will’s hoodie, “leave the talking to me.”

And they fell straight through the clouds, the difference being _very_ sudden.

The air no longer felt frigid, instead, it felt just a tad bit cold against his skin. It was a welcome change, but that pleasure quickly disappeared as they came face to face with a grassy meadow.

Nico found himself out of breath as they hit the ground, his lungs being squeezed of the precious air that had filled them just seconds ago.

At the same time, the bronze bands that bound them together disappeared.

They were back at camp, the sound of chatter and shuffling filling the air. Before Nico could roll over and off of a groaning Will, a figure completely covered up their only source of light.

Standing before them was Chiron, holding the conch in his hands and raising a brow at them.

“Will,” Chiron greeted, “We’ve had a situation.”

Turns out, the _situation_ had been Paolo’s chopped off limb.

Will coughed a few times, desperately trying to catch his breath while simultaneously coming to a stand. After they both regained their breath, Will held a hand out to him.

Nico shakily took it, and they set off to treat Paolo’s dismembered arm.

* * *

_first time fighting together_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love the height difference, if you couldn't tell.
> 
> I imagine their first go at the three-legged death race ended in chaos. I wanted to include some combat scenes, but I didn't have the creative juices for it ;-;
> 
> Also, are the breaks that clear enough? There are two spaces between them instead of one, but I don't know if it's distinguishable enough to clearly tell the setting has changed. I save the line breaks for changes in point of view, but that won't happen in this fic.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
> 
> _Posted: August 15, 2020._


	28. cooking together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! How's it going? Yeah, I don't know either...
> 
> I've, uh, figured out what I want to study for! Catch me working at National Geographic someday!
> 
> Enjoy this one, it has lots of sweet bits!
> 
> (Edit: I forgot to mention, Happy Birthday Percy!)
> 
> (Yes, in this house, we celebrate fictional character's birthdays.)

_xxviii._

“So,” Cecil clapped his hands, rubbing them together rather obnoxiously, “what are we making?”

Nico looked to Will, who looked over to Cecil with furrowed brows. Will had already explained things to him, but it looked like a quick recap was in order.

All three of them were in the kitchen, an assortment of items set out in front of them. Nico wasn’t sure what a lot of the tools were or why they were about a hundred ingredients laid out on the kitchen counter, but it all had something to do with making _brownies_ for a _Thanksgiving Dinner_.

An American holiday, as he had come to learn.

Will stood beside him, a frown still on his face from the back and forth he and Cecil had driven themselves into. Nico wasn’t paying much attention- Will had woken him up far too early and he was still a tad bit sleepy.

The warmth that Will radiated was enough to lull him into a state of calm, which is what he needed, considering Cecil’s eyes shined over with mischievous glee at the sight of everything before them.

Nico blinked at the two of them, because as far as he knew, it would have just been him and Will figuring things out in the kitchen, but Cecil had burst in just a minute ago wearing an apron that said _kiss the cook_ in curvy handwriting and demanding they make room for _the king._

Nico was… not amused. “What are you doing here?”

Cecil gasped, smacking his hand right over his heart and feigning hurt as he stumbled back into a counter. “And here I thought my presence was a blessing.”

“Ignore him,” Will placed his hands on Nico’s shoulders, and Nico thought he had been talking to him, but was deeply offended when Will looked straight past him and over to Cecil, “he hasn’t had his morning cuddles yet.”

Nico’s cheeks began to warm at that, but only burned more when Will moved behind him, slipping his arms around Nico’s waist and pressed a flurry of kisses to his cheek.

From in front of them, Cecil exaggeratedly gagged. “Gross. Not even five minutes in and you’re already getting all couple-y on me.”

Will paused, his arms dragging Nico closer to his body as he settled his chin right on Nico’s shoulder. “And you’re already insufferable.”

Cecil waved them off, stepping to the counter and pushing them aside. He took one look at the things set before him before picking up a few chocolate chips and tossing them into his mouth.

“We’re baking, I’m assuming.” He said through his chewing, eyes flickering back to where Will was _still_ hugging him from behind.

Will nodded, his curls tickling the side of Nico’s head. “Again, I’ve told you we were thinking about making some brownies.”

Cecil ignored the first comment, tapping a finger to his chin and scanning his eyes around the cluttered surface before him. He hummed, turning over to the stacked-up bowls before tutting. “The next time you set up for me, do it right.”

Nico could just imagine Will frowning at that, and his suspicions were confirmed when Will scoffed right by his ear and squeezed at his waist. “That was rude.”

“I’ve told you a million times, I prefer plastic bowls!”

He must have looked as confused as he felt, because a second later, Will leaned down and whispered an explanation. “Cecil’s actually pretty good at cooking.”

“And baking!” Cecil shouted from somewhere underneath the counters.

“And baking.” Will pressed a kiss to his cheek. “He’s helped me make something every year. Last year we made a few dinner rolls and this really tasty sauce to go with it.”

“Of course, we’re limited in what we can make.” Cecil reappeared from scavenging through the cabinets, placing a few bowls onto the counter. “It has to be easy to move around and be acceptably reheatable.”

“Because I always took an airplane.” Will huffed. “They normally wouldn’t allow a whole packaged meal on board, but Lou Ellen makes sure to wrap the food in some mist before I go.”

“That makes more sense. But…” Nico bit his lip, his mind stuck on the _airplane_ part of that explanation. “Lou Ellen isn’t a year-round camper.”

“She stops by.” Cecil swallowed another cluster of chocolate chips. “And she would have stopped by today, but she said something about getting stuck with club activities or whatever.”

Will nodded. “School’s go on break for the whole week, so she’ll come around eventually.”

“And when she does, I’ve got a surprise for her in her cabin.” Cecil rubbed his hands together, sticking his tongue out and glancing over to the station before him. “Let’s get started! Will, cut some parchment paper big enough to fit these pans! Nico, go melt this butter!”

Reluctantly, Will let go of him in favor of reaching for a narrow box off to the side. Cecil practically shoved a cup full of cut-up butter to him before going off to poke at the oven across the room.

Nico looked around for a pot, but when he couldn’t find one, he went to dig around where Cecil had previously been.

A few seconds of tossing pans to the side, a knock on the cabinet door next to his had him jumping in his spot.

Will stared down at him, a grin on his face and hand on his hip. “Whatcha doing there, Neeks?”

Nico raised a brow. “Looking for a pot.”

“For?” Cecil appeared on the other side, holding a bright red whisk and a bag that had _sugar_ sprawled all across the front.

“To melt the butter.” He deadpanned, growing only a bit annoyed when Cecil blinked at him, then at Will.

“Will, you haven’t taught your boyfriend about the microwave!?”

“I, uh, thought he knew about it—"

“He’s from the olden days, what do you expect?”

“I’m from the 1900s, not the caveman times.” Nico rolled his eyes, moving to a stand. “And will you stop talking about me like I’m not here?”

“Right.” Will grasped him by his shoulders, snatching the cup of butter and steering him towards a stove. Though, when they stood in front of it, Will reached up and popped open a little silver box.

Nico watched as he placed the cup in the center of a glass plate, closing it before punching a few numbers into the little display at the right. It lit up from the inside, emitting a weird sound as the plate spun in slow circles.

“This is a microwave.” Will patted the box on the front, pointing through the little window that allowed them to see inside. “It’s basically a mini oven, it can heat up lots of things, but don’t leave any metal in it, or else it’ll explode.”

“O-Okay.” Nico croaked, watching as Will brushed past him to continue on with his cutting. Nico just kept his eyes on the ticking numbers of its little screen, simultaneously eyeing the butter as it slowly started to melt.

He jumped when the microwave started to beep, its spinning coming to a halt and the light inside turning off alongside the annoyingly loud beeps.

Just as Will had done before, he pushed at the little button on the bottom right corner, watching as the door popped right open.

The butter wasn’t quite melted yet, so Nico went off to find a spoon, idly stirring the contents to help with the process.

“So, Will,” Cecil, who had begun to fiddle with the dry ingredients, quite harshly nudged Will with his elbow, his brow wiggling violently, “when are you meeting Hades?”

Right. This whole thing was for a fancy dinner, but it was also the first time Nico would meet Will’s mother.

Will had mentioned her a few times, and while they exchanged letters and, before it all stopped working, Iris Messaged regularly, he still went to visit her a handful of times a year.

When Will first mentioned him in one of his letters, Nico was a little more than worried. Will had just teased him, embarrassingly admitting that it wasn’t the first time he’d mentioned Nico to his mother.

And once Will wrote to her confirming they were an official item, she threatened Will to bring him along as soon as possible for a meet and greet. Nico wasn’t as sold on the idea as they both had been, but Will had just seemed so genuinely happy to invite him over that it hurt his heart to even think about denying their request.

So Nico hesitantly agreed to follow Will to their traditional little feast.

The whole concept of _meeting the parents_ was something he’d never thought about, and having Will meet Hades was something he hadn’t planned on doing anytime soon. Cecil was just being annoying.

Still, his little comment made Will stiffen, and if it weren’t for the probably important topic, Nico would have laughed.

Sure, he and his father were on good terms, and Nico was lucky enough to actually have a parent out of him, but he wasn’t trying to scare Will away.

Despite Will’s stiffened posture and slightly terrified face, Will turned to him. “Well… Nico—"

“Father hasn’t mentioned it.” Nico automatically replied, taking the spoon out of the butter before placing the cup back into the microwave. “I haven’t even- uh- told him. I’m sure he knows, though. He’s nosy like that.”

Will tilted his head, an unreadable expression crossing his features.

“For your sake, I hope you haven’t gone down there anytime soon.” Cecil pointed his whisk at him, moving it up and down, as if tracing his form. “Those hickeys were _huge_.”

Nico’s face immediately flamed, thanking the gods that the microwave beeped at that moment, allowing him to turn his back to Cecil’s loud cackling.

A _smack_ sounded through the air, followed by a curse and some more laughing. “Hey! It’s not my fault you’ve got a kink for hickeys!”

Another _smack._

In all honesty, Nico should have known that sucking on a piece of skin would leave behind an angry purple bruise. And apparently, everyone knew exactly what had caused the splotches by just the mere sight of them, which led to _a lot_ of teasing and many suggestive looks.

Nobody would have noticed either, had Connor not been standing behind him in the buffet line.

“Okay, okay!” Cecil swallowed down his laughter, though it was clearly fruitless. “I’ll stop talking about it! Now go make yourself useful and melt these chocolate chips!”

He heard some shuffling, followed by the presence of Will settling right beside him. He smiled down at him, and Nico timidly smiled back, the remnants of his embarrassment still vivid on his cheeks.

The cup of butter in his hands was completely melted now, so when Cecil called for it, Nico shuffled over, conscious enough to duck his head a little.

There weren’t as many as before, but one or two stragglers were still visible on his collar.

He spent the next few minutes handing Cecil some things, watching as the contents inside the bowl grew into a gooey liquid.

Will eventually came back with a bowl of melted chocolate. Nico couldn’t help but stick a finger in it, bringing it up to his lips and savoring the rich warmth on his tongue.

All too fast, Will swooped down and kissed him, pulling back just as quickly with a thoughtful hum. He met Nico’s eyes, and with a devious smirk, said, “Tastes sweet.”

Cecil gagged at them again, taking the chocolate and mixing it into the batter.

After pouring many other things into the mixture, they finished off with a bunch of whole chocolate chips. Cecil excused himself for a quick bathroom break, but not before instructing them to evenly pour the mixture into the trays Will had set up.

Sometime during that process, Nico had apparently gotten lost in his head.

“You okay there, Nico?” Will asked. “You’ve been kind of off for some time. Was it the hickey thing? Because if it was, I can talk to Cecil—"

“No,” Nico answered, because it honestly wasn’t that. It’d been at the back of his mind ever since Will had mentioned it, but now, it had resurfaced, along with a lot of anxious feelings.

He hated to break it to Will, but it was still hopeless trying to travel on an airplane. He’d be struck out of the sky the second they’d settle up in the clouds.

Instead of beating around the bush, Nico bit his lips and blurted out his worries. “Um, Will, I can’t… get on an airplane.”

Will smiled at him, fixing him with one of his tender smiles. “Don’t worry, Neeks. I’ve thought about it, and I was actually going to ask you…”

Nico blinked, his cheeks heating up when Will took his hands in his.

“How do you feel about shadow traveling there?”

“Shadow traveling?” Nico blinked, his eyes narrowing. “To Texas?”

Just as he expected, Will faltered. “Not all the way, just… halfway.”

Against his better judgment, Nico’s lips twitched upwards. “Halfway?”

Will huffed. “Okay, I told my mom we’d be there tonight, _before_ I remembered it probably isn’t smart to put you up in the sky. Flights from here to there usually take about four hours, so I normally would make my contribution and go straight to the airport all in one day, but I can’t really let her know about any sudden change of plans…”

Nico breathed, the gears in his head working harder than ever.

Even if they _had_ been working on his shadow travel, the progress wasn’t the best. He’d grown enough to at least admit it, and even if he didn’t want to say it, he was a bit afraid of what a jump half-way across the country would do to him.

But the concept of shadow travel wasn’t _totally_ down the drain…

_Be honest._

“I… I don’t think I can handle a jump that big.” Nico offered a nervous smile. “Plus, I don’t want my first impression to start off with me face-first in the dirt.”

Just as he feared, Will visibly deflated, worry etching its way on to his face. Before he could say anything more, Nico stood on the tips of his toes and spoke right by Will’s ear.

“But I can call Mrs. O’Leary.” Nico smiled. “Percy owes me for watching after her.”

And just like that, Will smiled once more, turning his head and meeting Nico’s lips in a giddy kiss.

The sound of the bowl hitting the table just encouraged Nico to wrap his arms around Will’s neck, smiling when Will wrapped his arms right at his waist in return.

He could tell Will had been stressing over the topic of transportation for longer than Nico would like, and he had also had his own period of worry, so it was nice to melt their worries away with a tender kiss.

“Gods, I leave for one second and you two can’t keep your hands off of each other,” Cecil grumbled, entering the kitchen and wiggling his way between them. “And you couldn’t even wait until _after_ you’ve put the batter into the pans?”

Will sent him a wink over Cecil’s shoulder, making him blush profusely.

Cecil rolled his eyes. “Nico, you’re free to go. I have to have a talk with this young man about _decency.”_

Nico bit back his laugh at the look on Will’s face, already moving to leave the stuffy kitchen.

With a wink of his own, Nico bounded right out of the kitchen and into the morning air. He had some packing to finish up, after all.

* * *

_first time cooking together_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before you ask, the next chapter will be the actual dinner with Mama Solace :)
> 
> And yes, I also plan on forcing Will to meet Hades!! I love the _meet the parents_ part in relationships, especially for these two!
> 
> On another note, Will is very touchy ;V
> 
> _Posted: August 18, 2020._


	29. meeting his mother

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a reminder, this chapter is on the same day as the previous one :)
> 
> 10k hits? We hit double digits bois!!!

_xxix._

The brownies had come out better than he had expected- all moist and chewy on the inside and nice and crunchy on the top.

Nico had made a face when he saw them, but once Will forced him to taste more than a little nibble, it was like a switch had just turned itself on, lighting Nico’s face up as he happily chewed on the freshly baked treat.

Will had to cut him off on his third brownie, reminding him that they’d have plenty to eat back home.

Nico had frozen at that, but Will did his best to reassured all of Nico’s doubts and worries. He knew the idea of _meeting the parents_ was nerve-wracking, and on top of Nico’s insecurities about people liking him, it was sure to be a scary experience.

Will was going to take extra precautions to make sure Nico was comfortable with the next two days.

Eventually, Cecil had kicked them out of the kitchen, saying he’d pack the brownies up for the trip so they could go and get ready.

Well, Nico was already all showered and dressed, but Will wasn’t. He’d spent the time after Nico had left to clean up with Cecil, enduring an aggravating conversation on when it was appropriate to, as Cecil put it, _make out with your boyfriend._

Will had absolutely refused to listen to his attempt at explaining the birds and the bees.

So Will left Cecil the moment he could, taking Nico by the hand and dragging him over to Cabin Seven.

“You look adorable.” Will complimented, his eyes appreciatively raking down Nico’s body. He wore a nice pair of jeans with a plain black shirt and a jacket that nearly swallowed him whole, one that reminded him of Nico’s previous aviator jacket.

The ensemble really wasn’t far off from Nico’s normal choice of clothing, but the sentiment was there. He was trying to dress up, even if it was subtle.

He grinned at the blush painting Nico’s cheeks, turning back to stare down the golden cabin in his sight. He’d have to tease Nico as much as he could before they got to Texas- Nico would probably melt into a puddle of darkness or stab him with his inky sword if he tried anything in front of his mom.

“You think so?” Nico asked, and when Will glanced behind his shoulder, he found Nico frowning down at himself.

“I know so.” Will squeezed at their linked hands. “Besides, you _always_ look good.”

Nico rolled his eyes, but a tiny smile twitched at the corner of his lips. “You’re just biased.”

“Am I?” He teased, practically dragging Nico up the porch and straight through the door. The cabin was empty, which Will quietly thanked the gods for. “Or do I just speak the truth? In case you forgot, my dad is the literal god of truth.”

Nico wiggled his hand out of Will’s. “Oh, I remember. You can’t lie to save your life.”

Will beamed at him, gesturing to his bed before moving to rummage around his dresser. He honestly would have just throw anything on, but with Nico trying to dress on the nicer side of things, he might as well try to coordinate _something_.

“Then you’ll believe me when I say you look like an angel.” He cooed, laughing when Nico all but ordered him into the bathroom for a shower.

He picked his clothes out, going over to press a kiss to Nico’s cheek before going to wash up.

Not much happened during the shower- just the typical soap in the eye thing. He did hum along to something Austin had been playing the past couple of days, but other then that, it was an uneventful shower.

Once he was all dry and set in his jeans and nicer shirts, Will shook his hair out before chancing a glance of himself in the mirror.

_Good enough._

He found Nico laying on his bed, his arms thrown over his duffle bag and feet swinging behind him. In front of him was one of the books Will kept for its medical dealings, splayed out to a random page with pictures of the human body.

Nico looked up, leaving behind a patch of red skin in his cheek from where he had been pressing his hand to it. “I finished packing for you.”

Will smiled, throwing his dirty clothes into the hamper and shrugging on a lighter jacket. “Thanks. Are you all set?”

“I’ve been ready before the brownies were even out of the oven.” He gestured to the bedside table, where a container of neatly stacked brownies sat. “Cecil came to drop them off while you were in there. He also wishes us luck or whatever.”

“I’ll be sure to thank him, or whatever.” Will winked, earning him an unnecessary loud shut to his book.

He just shrugged it off, glancing at the clock on the wall. It was only a little past lunch, but the anticipation was slowly killing him.

He wanted to see his mom. Badly.

Maybe Nico wouldn’t mind leaving a few hours early…

“What’s wrong?” Nico’s voice was suddenly much closer, his hand resting comfortably on Will’s back. Even his brows were scrunched up just slightly into a worried frown.

Will turned, taking Nico’s hand in both of his and pressing a kiss to his bony knuckle. “Nothing. M’ just excited, is all.”

Nico tilted his head, stepping closer and burying himself against Will. Not that Will was complaining.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, just sharing each other’s warmth and taking comfort in the hug.

If it wasn’t completely silent, he wouldn’t have heard Nico’s soft mumbles against his chest.

Will slowly coaxed Nico from him, brushing away a few strands of hair from his eyes. “Can you repeat that for me, sweetie?”

“I said we can leave right now…” Nico mumbled, his eyes tentatively meeting Will’s. “If you’re ready. I have my bag at my—”

“I’m all set!” Will grinned, scrambling to grab his bags. First, he threw on the one with all his clothes and other necessities, then the one specifically for medicine. He turned to Nico, a big grin splayed on his face as he practically bounced on his heels.

Nico blinked, then smiled. “Okay. Let me just get my bag, then I’ll call Mrs. O’Leary over.”

Will nodded. “And while you do that, I’m going to go find Austin and Kayla. Let them know we’re leaving a bit early.”

“Meet me back here!” Nico shouted after him, but he was already out the door and heading straight for the archery range.

The shadows were just as dark and eerie as ever.

After so many jumps with Nico, Will had grown used to the speed and off-putting feelings that came with shadow traveling. He expected the murmurs from the shadows and feelings of _things_ all over him, but what he didn’t expect was the sudden stop Mrs. O’Leary came to, or even the bow she lowered herself into.

“Wait—!” Nico shrieked when Mrs. O’Leary shook her entire body, effectively sending them both tumbling to the ground.

Will groaned, his back protesting from its place against the rocky pathway. Nico was settled atop of him, as he had been the one to ride in the front. Will hadn’t complained at that demand, as it meant he’d get to cuddle up to his boyfriend.

And he was always happy to break his boyfriend’s fall, but now, being used as a cushion on a bunch of pebbles was starting to become uncomfortable.

“That’s the third time in less than a week…” Will sat up, pulling Nico with him. Mrs. O’Leary yawned, then began to sniff around in the air.

Will took a second to reorientation himself- not because of the shadow travel, but because he’d just been thrown to the ground from a _very_ big hellhound.

Nico was still settled between his legs, rubbing at his eyes and grumbling something about _them_ and _falling_.

Once his world was no longer spinning, Will blinking up at the shadow they had emerged from. He was met with that familiar oak tree at the front of his childhood home, and when he looked around, he almost jumped for joy at the sights- the gravel pathway, the wrap around porch, the matching front door and shutters…

“We’re here,” Will whispered, a wide smile slowly spreading across his lips.

He looked to Nico, who was looking at him. There was this look on Nico’s face that was just too adorable to resist, and with all the happy emotions coursing through him, he couldn’t hold himself back from pressing a kiss to those pouty lips.

When he pulled back, Nico looked dazed and amused and anxious all at the same time. It didn’t register in Will’s mind, because the next thing he did was push them to a stand, excitedly leading Nico up the gravel road.

Mrs. O’Leary bounded up to them, but Nico said something to her which had her barking and running back off to where they’d come from.

“I can’t wait to see her.” Will beamed, slowing down so that Nico was now right beside him. “It’s been forever since we got to talk face-to-face…”

Nico’s hand stiffened in his, and when Will looked down to him, his smile faltered.

It wasn’t that Nico visibly looked upset or anything of the likes, but Will _did_ know how to pick up on the little signs.

And right now, Nico was _anxious._

“Hey,” Will slowed them down, coming to a stop right in front of the porch steps. He brought Nico’s hand up to his lips, simply holding it there and rubbing slow circles into the back of his hand. “It’ll be okay. My mom already loves you, so anything your brain could possibly be throwing around is all wrong.”

It took a moment, but sure enough, the corner of Nico’s lips twitched upwards. Will smiled when their eyes met, and he would have said something more, had the front door not swung open with a _bang!_

The noise made them jump, but once Will caught sight of just _who_ had interrupted their little moment, he was once again _shining brighter than the sun_ , as Nico would have put it.

“Mom!” he all but beamed, letting go of Nico’s hand in favor of climbing up the steps.

It all went in a blur, but the next thing he knew, he was being wrapped in a giant hug from his nearly sobbing mother. Will didn’t get a chance to see her face, but he’d recognize those blonde curls, blue eyes, and perfect smile anywhere.

“Will! Look at you!” She squeezed at their embrace, her hands running all throughout his hair, down to his back, and back again to his hair. “You’ve gotten so big!”

“I’ve been told.” He grinned, burying his face into her soft curls. They smelled just like home…

After what felt like an eternity, Will reluctantly pulled back when she planted her hands on his shoulders.

She started to study him, her eyes roaming all over his face. Her hands followed suit, palms patting at his cheeks and eventually cupping them in her grasps.

The last time they had been in the same room at the same time, Will had been just an inch taller than her. Now, she had to pull him down to go through with her usual assault of kisses to the entirety of his face.

“I missed you so much.” She smiled, pulling him into another bone-crushing hug.

He didn’t say anything, simply savoring his mom’s warm embrace.

This time, when she pulled away, her eyes were trained on something right over his shoulder. Will followed her gaze, finding Nico standing very awkwardly at the bottom of the stairs, staring at them with shy eyes.

When Nico noticed he was being watched, he shot them a wobbly smile. More specifically, he shot his mom that adorable little look that made Will want to go down there and squeeze the life out of his little Neeks.

“And you must be Nico…” His mom let go of him, brushing past Will to descend the porch stairs. Once she was standing right in front of him, she pulled Nico into a hug.

Will would have smiled at the scene before him, but the look on Nico’s face gave away how out of place he felt in her arms. Thankfully, Nico quickly melted into the embrace, and he even wrapped his arms around her in return.

This time, Will did smile.

“Ma’am.” He heard Nico mumble into her shoulder, and as she pulled herself from the embrace, Will stepped down and made his way next to them.

“Please,” she waved him away, offering Nico one of her dazzling smiles, “call me Naomi.”

Nico looked scandalized, which made Will laugh. Naomi slapped him on the shoulder, but even she couldn’t help the little laugh that slipped out of her lips.

“Oh!” She suddenly jumped, her smile twisting into a frown as she stared off into the distance. “Is that…?”

Both Will and Nico looked towards the source of her distress, finding Mrs. O’Leary bouncing around in the field before them, chasing around what looked to be a yellow butterfly.

Will quickly moved to reassure her, watching the way she stepped back and her brows knit together in worry. “Don’t worry, mom. That’s Mrs. O’Leary- she’s how we got here.”

Naomi blinked. “You took a…”

“Hellhound.” Will supplied. “Um, we had a change of plans. We couldn’t take an airplane, and Mrs. O’Leary can travel through the shadows, so we decided to take her.”

Nico looked at him with a raised brow, but then turned to Naomi with a sheepish smile. “Is it alright if she plays over there…?”

Naomi stared at Mrs. O’Leary for a second, a questioning look twisting her features. Finally, she sighed. “Will, you’ll have to run all that by me again, but as long as she’s not a threat, I suppose she can stay.”

“She’s trained,” Will added, noticing the apprehension in her eyes. “Really, she’s like a big puppy.”

After another moment of consideration, the corner of her lips quirked upwards. “If you say so. Now, come inside! The both of you! I just put the pies in the oven, so we’ve got some time to catch up before I leave to finish up in the kitchen.”

At the mention of pie, Will immediately perked up. “We brought some dessert, too!” He grinned, moving to stand at Nico’s right. He unzipped the bag, and the very first thing he was met with was the container of brownies they had baked just a few hours ago.

Naomi clapped her hands together, her eyes practically sparkling as she took the brownies from his hands. “My favorite! These’ll go great with the sundaes!”

Will leaned into the hug she engulfed both of them in, smiling as she made her way behind them and ushered them forward.

Once they were inside, the smell of food drifted right to Will’s nose, making his mouth water at the thought of the delicious feast his mother had cooked up.

At his side, Nico shrunk in on himself as they were led into the living room.

“Will, be a gentleman and take Nico’s up to his room.” She chirped, though paused and pointed an accusatory finger at him. “In separate rooms, young man.”

“Of course…” Will deflated, only to brighten up when Naomi raised a brow. Before she could say anything more, he took Nico’s hand and darted to the staircase. “We’ll be right down, ma!”

“You better!” She called after them, turning to walk straight into the kitchen.

No matter how little Will’s visits were, the house was the same as ever. Obviously, his mom still owned it, but with how much she was out touring the south or doing other things country singers did, she was also never in the house for long.

It was just always a little nostalgic walking down these halls. They were exactly as he remembered them from his childhood.

“This is where you’ll be staying!” Will smiled, swinging one of the doors open to reveal a generically decorated guest room. When he looked towards Nico, his smile shifted into a grin at the flush on those pale cheeks. “Don’t worry, I’ll sneak over during the night.”

“Will!” Nico blushed brighter, walking into the sun-kissed room. He looked like an actual angel just standing there, back facing the sun and features illuminated in the golden light.

He slung his duffle bag off his shoulder, dumping it at the base of the bed before moving to draw the curtains.

“Awe,” Will pouted, bringing a hand to his heart, “but you look so good in the sunlight.”

“It’s too bright.” Nico frowned, taking a moment before slipping his jacket off. “And hot.”

“That’s Texas for you.” Will agreed, already shedding the two bags and thin jacket he had thrown on back at camp. “How do you like it so far? I know we haven’t really done anything yet, but I just want to remind you that it’s okay to feel a little nervous. It’s a new experience, so it’s alright if things seem a little daunting.”

Nico slowly nodded, wrapping his arms around himself. He looked cute enough to scoop up and kiss relentlessly, but Will held back. He wouldn’t want to get carried away, especially since his mom was waiting for them downstairs.

“It’s just… a lot.” Nico breathed, his eyes fixed on the tacky bedsheets.

Will winced. “I’m sorry about my mom. I know she can be a bit much—”

“No.” Nico cut him off, his eyes timidly meeting Will’s as a small smile formed on his face. “It’s not her. She’s… really nice. I’m just stuck in my head, I guess.”

“I’m here if you need me.” Will stepped into the room, wrapping his arm around Nico’s shoulder and pressing a chaste kiss to his temple. “Come on. I’ll give you a whole tour of my room before we head back down.”

“Okay.”

The rest of the afternoon went by as smoothly as Will had expected.

After being harassed for his very colorful room, Will finished up giving Nico a tour of the entire house. It was a farmhouse, a very different style from the places around New York, but Nico had liked it.

They then met up with Naomi, who had just finished stuffing one last thing into the oven. Will’s stomach was growling, but she had told him to wait until dinner.

Then proceeded to offer Nico some snacks.

Will had grumbled about it, but he really didn’t mind. If anything, he’d starve himself some more just to hear Nico’s little laugh ring in the air more often.

Naomi had sat them down in the living room and asked them to explain the whole plane and hellhound situation, so Will did. Nico had grown a little tense at the mention of his father, but his mom just beamed in excitement and proceeded to ask all sorts of questions that had Nico smiling by the end of them.

At some point, Will excused himself to go use the bathroom. When he got back, Naomi was a lot closer to Nico than he had left them, both of them hunched over a… photo book.

“When I first got to talk to him, uh, I remembered a time when I was with Percy and Thalia.” Even from his spot behind them, he could just mentally see the heat crawling up Nico’s neck. “When I looked at Will, all I could think about was Thalia calling Apollo _hot_.”

Naomi laughed, wrapping Nico in a side hug. “Don’t be so ashamed of it, sweetie! Apollo _is_ kind of hot.”

“I’m just going to ignore you guys calling my dad hot and focus on the fact that _you_ think _I’m_ hot.” Will walked in, winking at Nico for the last bit. Nico was beat-red at this point, which just made a wave of satisfaction wash over Will’s body.

The conversation then turned over to Apollo and his missing presence at Olympus, which was a conversation Will didn’t know he needed. He got to express his worries and get some things off of his chest, plus another one of his mom’s hugs.

Apparently, the whole talk of Apollo came from one of the pictures in the photo book, one where he was holding a little Will on his shoulders.

Nico said he was a cute baby, which just boosted his ego all the more.

“It’s Tuesday.” Will had explained at one point to a very confused-looking Nico. “Thanksgiving is always the fourth Thursday of November. We’re leaving just before then, because my mom is going to go over with the family for that one.”

“Why are we having this one, then?”

Will frowned at that. “My family… doesn’t know about the whole demigod thing. They think I’m at some military school up in New York.”

Nico sheepishly looked away. “Sorry.”

“No, it's fine.” Will swung their linked hands. “It’s easier this way. They barely get to see my mom either, what with her country singer career. It works out, she gets to live her life and I get to live under the protection of camp.”

And that made him a little sad, thinking about his extended family. He had a cousin he used to be close to, as well as some mortal friends from school, but things were better this way…

About an hour later, Naomi called them into the dining room. She had refused to let Will help her set everything up, telling him he should keep Nico company. He was only a little ashamed to admit he jumped at the idea far quicker than he should have.

But talking with Nico for that hour was just what he needed to banish away his sad thoughts. He learned that Nico was enjoying himself more than he thought he would- not because he wouldn’t like Naomi, but because he was afraid he’d be too nervous to really enjoy much.

But Will was absolutely ecstatic to learn that he was growing more and more comfortable with his mom and her upbeat personality.

When they entered the dining room, there were plates set out for the three of them. Food was scattered all throughout the table, which just made Will’s stomach rumble louder than ever.

“Well,” Naomi sighed, pulling her curls back into a ponytail, “let’s dig in!”

* * *

_first time meeting his mother_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Naomi Solace!! We'll probably never get to see her in canon, but a girl can hope!
> 
> I imagine her to love Nico as one of her own- one of the _she loves you more than me_ tropes <3
> 
> Also, I'll be starting school this Monday 😔 As a freshman in college 😔😔 I don't know how frequent updates will be, but I'll definitely try to pump them out on a regular basis! Thank you all for reading!
> 
> _Posted: August 21, 2020._


	30. getting caught

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiii I just got back from my first day of classes and it was awful :)) I have a major headache and I haven't eaten all day and I'm super tired-
> 
> Enjoy this chapter though, it's really cute!

_xxx._

Nico knew he shouldn’t have laughed as Will pulled him into the armory, but he just couldn’t help it.

Will looked really funny with his hair like that.

Granted, Nico had been the one running his hands through it for the apast ten minutes. Or so he _guessed_ was ten minutes…

Nico was a bit disorientated.

_Just a bit._

When the door was lightly closed behind him, Will all but roughly shoved him against it. The armor they had put on for Capture the Flag was long gone, hidden somewhere by the outskirts of the forest, along with their helmets.

They’d be back for them.

Eventually.

Nico wrapped his arms right around Will’s neck, bringing him down to nip at his pliant and swollen lips. They’d been kissing for quite some time in the woods, but when the sounds of screams disrupted their moment, Will pulled him over to a more _private_ area.

The armory was the first place they ducked into, and while it wasn’t all that far from the forest, it did provide some semblance of peace and quiet.

Before they entered it, that is, because now the only sounds that filled Nico’s ears were the smacks of their lips and the occasional deep inhales and exhales of their breaths.

Will’s hands ran all over Nico’s midsection, grasping at his waist and squeezing at his hips. His fingers sometimes slipped under the material of Nico’s jacket, brushing past his shirt and rubbing at his exposed skin.

It tickled at first, but the protest on his lips died down with every new touch. Soon, the laughter that had threaten to burst out of his lips turned into breathless gasps of… well, pleasure.

Nico moved to shrug off his jacket, the heavy fabric suddenly making everything ten times hotter…

Will seemed to catch on to his ministrations, because the next thing he knew, Will’s hands were pushing the sleeves down Nico’s arms, bunching the fabric off of his body before tossing it aside, refocusing all his attention on Nico.

Nico mewled at that.

Will’s hands immediately latched themselves onto his waist, pulling him impossibly closer. Their chests were touching now, and just when Nico didn’t think it could possibly get any better, Will was hastily leaning down, his hands skimming down Nico’s legs and…

And then Will was hooking his hands right behind Nico’s knees, effortlessly lifting him up and settling him right at Will’s hips.

Nico _really_ liked that.

At the same time, Will’s lips were leaving his, trailing a wet path of their mixed saliva down to his chin. The trail went from there over to his jaw, slowly nipping and caressing before Will kissed his way down Nico’s neck.

Nico was positive he would _never_ grow tired of those marks being bitten into his skin…

Being perched on Will’s hips allowed for easy access to his neck, which fell right in front of Will’s lips. All Nico had to do was tilt his head a bit in either direction to give Will full access.

And after much practice, Nico knew exactly where Will would want it.

But he never knew where to put his hands, so Nico always ended up running them down Will’s back, his nails digging into the muscles whenever Will sucked on a particularly sensitive spot. He’d either be doing that or burying his hands deep into Will’s curls, pulling and tugging as oppose to scrapping.

Nico apologized one time, but Will just chuckled and told him it was more than okay.

_“Ah…”_ he breathed, weakly squeezing at Will’s shoulders. He’d been bitten at the spot just underneath his ear, which drew lots of embarrassing noises from him…

He felt Will’s smirk against his skin.

Suddenly, he wasn’t leaning against the door anymore. The pressure his upper back had been put through was no longer there, relieving his body from the ache that would come to bite him in the butt later in the night.

Instead, Will was holding him by the back of the thighs, maneuvering them somewhere else inside the armory. And while the lights were off and very little light streamed through the windows, Will somehow made his way to one of the benches at the far side of the room. 

Nico felt Will flop onto the bench, his knees hitting the wood and creating a _thump!_ against the silent air.

While Will could have easily leaned back, he kept pressing forward, kissing and fluttering his lips all over Nico’s neck.

It made him _giggle,_ but he’d rather die a thousand deaths than call it that out loud. By the look on Will’s face, he was about to comment on exactly that.

Before he could, Nico grasped the collar of his sweatshirt and forcefully pressing their lips together in a heated kiss.

He broke them apart just as quickly, shoving Will back onto his seat. Will smirked playfully at him, his hands running down and gently holding him by his lower back.

And while Nico was never so… _confident_ in his approach to things like this, he was feeling a bit _hot and bothered_ at this point.

He smiled, meeting Will’s eyes for a second before they were kissing once more.

They went on like that for so much longer, with Will leaning back and Nico eagerly straddling him. For so long, everything in Nico’s mind just chanted _Will, Will, Will…_

But then there was an aggravated huff, followed by the armory doors slamming open and-

“Oh my gods!” A voice shrieked from behind him, one that belonged to Miranda Gardiner.

Nico’s head whipped around, finding Miranda shielding her eyes with a deep blush staining her cheeks. Nico’s cheeks were probably worse, though.

Throughout all their kissing, Nico had never noticed the conch horn being blown. Or just how _hot_ the armory had become, because once the chilly night air flooded the room, Nico violently shivered.

He would have simply shadow traveled away from the quickly growing mess, but with the door swung wide, the whole armory was filled with the glowing moonlight from outside. So instead, he buried himself at the crook of Will’s neck, taking comfort in the arms that immediately wrapped around him.

“What’s wrong?!” Billie Ng called, followed by various footsteps. Soon enough, Billie appeared right at Miranda’s side, along with both Sherman and Ellis.

They both looked ready to fight, but once their eyes landed on him and Will, two amused grins grew scarily wide on their faces.

“Hey Knowles! Lake!” Sherman yelled, waving his hand. “Found them!”

More footsteps pounded against the ground, which was just _great._ Of course, Kayla and Austin popped into view, both of them looking shocked before smiles erupted on their faces.

“Will Solace!” Kayla pressed a hand to her mouth, obviously trying to bite back her laughs.

Austin, however, was already laughing.

“Why don’t you just call the whole camp over…” Will grumbled, though a light pink clearly dusted his tan cheeks.

That grumble might have well just come true, considering everyone was itching to take their armor off and stow it away. They didn’t have much time before everyone began rushing over…

And to make matters worse, Chiron was slowly approaching their little gathering, and he did _not_ look amused.

Nico surely wasn’t looking forward to the punishment they’d both be put through, but the little smile Will shot down to him made everything just a bit more bearable.

_Just a bit._

* * *

_first time getting caught_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I quite enjoyed writing this chapter :o
> 
> _Posted: August 24, 2020._


	31. stargazing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Welcome back :}
> 
> I feel like this chapter isn't the best- it definitely could have been better, but it's still decent! For now, it's another of the ones I might come back and edit!
> 
> (Also, I'm coming out with a Fierrochase one-shot sometime this week! I'll tell you right now, it's rated M!)

_xxxi._

Nico was currently being steered through camp with a blindfold over his eyes and some tiny box in his hands.

Not the ideal situation, but he was rather rudely forced into doing both things.

By who? None other than Cecil Markowitz.

Something about this was familiar, and after a few moments of consideration, Nico could recall exactly what made this so familiar.

Will had done the same thing to him for their very first official date. Well, minus the box.

In fact, he and Will had scheduled a date that night. He had been all set and ready for it, and when the knock on his door came, Nico eagerly answered it, only to be disappointedly met with Cecil’s face.

Cecil wormed his way into Nico’s cabin, commenting on the sun plushie centered on his bed before teasing him relentlessly about it.

Just when Nico was ready to kick him out, Cecil produced the box and blindfold out of nowhere, instructing him to hold the box and stay still as the blindfold was suddenly draped around his eyes.

Cecil covered it up as _a favor,_ but Nico immediately knew it was part of Will’s set up for the date. Just like last time…

Instead, Cecil was the one causing him to nearly break his ankles on the rocky trail- not Will.

When he nearly _did_ fall, Nico smacked Cecil’s hands from his shoulders. “If you’re going to be my eyes, can you actually do your job and _look._ ”

There was a pause before an exhale followed it. “Well, that was rude.”

“I don’t know, I thought it was rather funny.” A new voice joined in, followed by the crunch of some footsteps. The voice was definitely Lou Ellen’s, which confused Nico. He was positive Will would have had Cecil drop him off somewhere and leave, but turns out, there was more to this thing than he had first thought.

He was only a little worried this wasn’t _actually_ a part of Will’s date, but then someone stepped in front of him and untied that stupid blindfold. When Nico was met with a pair of amused blue eyes, his worries were instantly melted away.

“Hey, sunshine.” Will smiled, his arms flopping back to his sides. To his right, Lou Ellen stood with her hands folded behind her back, a devious grin marring her features.

He didn’t question it, though. Nico couldn’t pay much attention to anything else when Will was looking at him like that. “Hi…”

Then, Will’s eyes fell to the box in his hands. “Did Cecil ask you to open that?”

Nico shifted it in his hands, running his thumb over the simple wooden surface. “Um, no.”

Will glared over his shoulder, where Cecil was presumably standing. “Did I not tell you to _not_ just kidnap my boyfriend?”

“Hey! How do you know I _didn’t_ do that?”

“But you did.” Nico deadpanned, turning around to face him. “You barged into my cabin and forced that blindfold over my eyes.”

Will sighed, slipping his arm around Nico’s waist. “You guys can’t do anything right.”

“I resent that,” Cecil said, proudly crossing his arms over his chest.

Lou Ellen, on the other hand, stepped beside him, the frown on her face almost comical. “And just what have I done to warrant that response?”

“Nothing yet.” Will shrugged. “But I’ll just say it now so I can save my breath.”

She blinked at him. “Now _that_ was rude.”

Nico’s lips quirked up at the look on Will’s face. “Whatever. Just- go away now.”

And they both did, but not without some grumbling. Will waited until they disappeared behind a few bushes before he turned to Nico, his smile soft and apologetic. “Sorry about that. I knew I should have gone to get you myself.”

Nico shook his head, stepping in just an inch and wrapping his hands around Will’s midsection. “It’s okay. I kind of guessed you were behind my kidnapping.”

“Oh, really?” Will chuckled, his arm wrapping around Nico to return the hug. “And how’d you guess that?”

He wrinkled his nose. “You have a thing for putting me in blindfolds.”

Immediately, Will chocked, but when Nico pulled back to assess the situation, he was met with a wobbly smile. Will’s cheeks were also suspiciously pink…

“What’s—”

“Are you ready for our date?” Will chirped, pulling away from their hug with an overly wide smile.

Obviously, Will was hiding something, but all Nico did was narrow his eyes and slowly nod. “Yeah…”

“Great! There was a reason I had Cecil and Lou Ellen tag along, after all.”

“I couldn’t imagine why…” Nico grumbled, but before much else could be said, Will was wrapping an arm around his shoulder as he slowly turned them around.

And Nico’s jaw almost dropped at the sight.

They were at the canoe lake, but instead of a canoe, there was a _gondola_ docked at the end of the boardwalk.

_A gondola…_

“Will…”

From beside him, Will shrugged. “Just thought I’d do something nice.”

He slipped from under Will’s arm, his feet crunching against the sand before the heavy combat boots struck the wooden boards under his feet.

The gondola was set up similarly to the canoe on their first date, with a slue of fairy lights adorning the edges and wrapping around the prow.

The seats were cushioned and lined the inside of the gondola, and right in the middle of them sat a wooden board carded with a nice red table cloth. Atop of the makeshift table was a picnic basket, a pile of blankets, and two fake candles.

Nico got on his knees, placing the box off on one of the seats before brushing his fingers against the cool exterior. He looked up when Will came to stand beside him.

“How did you get this…?” Nico asked, and he was far too awed to care that he was practically staring wide eyes at a piece of wood.

“That’s where Cecil came in.” Will grinned, staring down at Nico.

Nico furrowed his brows. “So you’re saying Cecil snuck this thing in here?”

To his surprise, Will nodded.

“How—”

“Never underestimate a Hermes kid.” Will chuckled to himself. “The Stoll’s have had their fair share of stealing active landmines. A gondola is nothing compared to that.”

Really, that explanation drew up more questions than answers, but Nico just decided to clamp his mouth shut when Will offered him his hand.

“After you, Lord of Darkness.”

Nico rolled his eyes but used the extended hand to clamber on to the gondola. Before he sat, Will pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose. He flushed, squirming out of Will’s reach and sitting at the end of the compartment.

The space was big for a gondola, but it was still small and narrow. Especially with the basket and loads of other things stuffed with him.

Nico was too engrossed in running his fingers down everything to notice Will stepping on to the stern, row in hand and grin wide on his lips.

Nico smiled. “So you’re the gondolier?”

“Yep.” Will desperately tried to balanced himself, waving his hands around before the gondola finally settled. “I practiced once or twice, so I’m pretty sure I can handle maneuvering us a few feet.”

“You do that, then.” Nico hid his smile, moving over to dig through the basket. He set aside the candles and blankets, flipping the lid and rummaging through the picnic food.

There was much more to the basket than meets the eye, considering the very first things he was met with were two plates of neatly prepared spaghetti and meatballs, sprinkled with just a bit of parmesan and a few leaves of parsley.

He placed the plates on the board, moving the basket down to his feet so there would be enough room for the dishes and utensils.

Nico set it up so that there was room for two, with one plate in front of him and the other across from him. He took his time to make it look romantic, which was the least he could.

He felt a little bad about it… but he didn’t have any time to dwell on the thought, seeing as Will’s hands were suddenly grabbing the fake candles at his side, placing them in the middle of their plates and shooting him a wink.

Nico absentmindedly looked around, finding them in the middle of the canoe lake. Will _definitely_ practiced a lot more than he let on.

“Is this the Italian themed date?” Nico teased, but he was secretly very excited. He hadn’t had a meal that reminded him of home in so long….

“How’d you guess?” Will leaned back in his seat, a teasing smile grazing his lips. Nico smiled back.

“I’m just good like that.” He handed Will his fork, but just as he was about to dig in, Will stopped him.

“What?” He hummed, dejectedly lowering his arm to the side.

Will just smiled, pointing to Nico’s side. When Nico turned to look, the little box from before was staring up at him. “Open it, first.”

Nico blinked, taking the box in his hands and turning it in his palms. He didn’t get a chance to look at it before, but there really wasn’t much to see. It was plain and wooden, far too small to fit anything in it, but when he opened it up, just a single bead stared up at him.

And when he picked it up, a black string hung down from its sides.

“It’s…”

“The camp necklace,” Will finished for him, gesturing to the bead between his finger, “with this summer’s bead.”

Nico hadn’t noticed before, but the bead was comprised of both orange and purple, the colors swirling together as they met in the middle. Atop of that, there was a pegasus with laurel wreaths on either side of it, all painted black.

He realized all too quickly that the entire thing represented the camps’ newfound friendship.

But…

Nico bit his lip, the familiar wave of sadness washing over him the more he looked at it. “I wasn’t even here for the whole summer…”

“You were here for enough of it,” Will reassured, his tone suddenly very soft. “I know you don’t have a Camp Necklace because you were in the infirmary the day we decided on a design, and then you were in your cabin when we handed them out.”

“But I don’t—”

“Whatever you’re about to say, forget it. You deserve that bead, and anybody that tells you otherwise can kiss my quiver.”

Nico ended up staring at the bead for a good chunk of time, both pondering over Will’s words and rolling the little thing in his fingers. Eventually, after blinking back some of the hot tears that had pooled in his eyes, Nico smiled.

“Help me get it on?” He asked, and Will immediately nodded.

After it was settled nicely around his neck, Will looked off to the side.

“I’ve got one more surprise for you.” Will brought his hand up. “Just wait for it…”

“What are you—” Will shot his thumb up, and immediate, Nico’s eyes widened.

The scene around them changed, and instead of a vast collection of trees and rippling water from their swaying, colorful and narrow buildings stood at either side of them, going down as far as Nico could see.

It was… Venice.

Nico was _sure_ he could have actually cried this time.

“This is where Lou Ellen comes in.” Will shifted, looking around their surroundings. “I was debating doing something like this, but then Lou Ellen offered to wrap some mist around us, so I took her up on the offer. I don’t—"

_“Voglio davvero baciarti…”_ Nico smiled, his cheeks staining a light pink. Whenever Will was nervous, he would babble on and on, so Nico just _had_ to cut him off.

Will blinked at him, his face quickly matching Nico’s in terms of color.

After a few more seconds of dwelling in their embarrassment, they started to eat.

Will said he and Cecil made all the food, and if the whole Venice streets hadn’t answer Nico’s previous question, it was all Italian. Will asked for a rating on his authenticity, which prompted him to point out a few things that weren’t so accurate, such as the larger portion size and meat accompanying the spaghetti.

Other than that, everything was perfect.

After their plates were all empty, Will pointed out that there was _more_ food in the basket, which was built like a little tower. Once Nico removed the first part, there was another compartment with little snacks, some drinks, and even two cups of _gelato._

Nico thought he’d been full, but once his eyes landed on the chocolate gelato, he immediately reached for it and scooped some up into his mouth, happily confirming it was the real deal.

They spent a lot of time talking and laughing, practically inhaling their gelatos and chipping away at the snacks as time went on. Eventually, after they packed up all their things, Will called him.

“Here,” Will moved to sit on the stern, patting the spot beside him, “come lay with me.”

And Nico did, maneuvering around the basket in the middle and plopping himself down next to Will. Their knees kept brushing against one another, and just as Nico was about to scoot over, Will pulled them flush against one another.

The next thing Will did was pull him down to lay on his side, his cheek pressed to Will’s chest and arm draped over his stomach. They were cuddling, probably to take up as little space as possible and not tip over the gondola.

At least, that’s what Nico told himself.

Nico hadn’t noticed it before, but even the sky was wrapped in some mist. Vague memories came rushing to him- some of him and faceless children pointing out the constellations, some of him staring wide-eyed at the stars as nameless voices flew over his head, and even some of him simply looking out the window…

It normally very irritating only remembering part of his memories, but with Will at his side pointing out the Ursa Major with this gleeful cheer in his voice, Nico found that he didn’t really mind the sudden flood of nothingness.

He was just happy to make some new memories.

* * *

_first time stargazing_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italian translation (from Google, please correct me if it's wrong!): _Voglio davvero baciarti..._ = _I really want to kiss you..._
> 
> Ah, Will is a sweetheart!! He'd _so_ put in the extra effort for a date! 
> 
> The first date Nico mentioned is on Chapter 9, if anybody is interested!
> 
> Also, I did lots of research on the night sky in Venice AND in Montauk, which is where Camp Half-Blood is said to be located. I ended up going with the Venice sky, and from what I've read, there are lots of visible contellations over there :p
> 
> Until next time!
> 
> _Posted: August 27, 2020._


	32. playing in the snow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is more Nico-centric, I'll tell you right now.
> 
> And hey, I'd like to point out that I have posted every three days this month :p
> 
> Anyways, enjoy!

_xxxii._

When Will came to pick him up in the early morning, the ground was coated in a thin sheet of white.

Nico immediately had to shield his eyes, because the switch from his very dark cabin to the reflective snow coating the ground was _very_ obnoxious.

“And you say you’re not a vampire.” Will teased, pinching Nico’s cheek between two of his fingers. Nico didn’t even bother to swat his hand away, focusing on blinking through his temporary blindness.

“I thought the border keeps the weather out of camp,” Nico grumbled, rubbing his fists against his eyes. After a few more watery blinks, he was able to keep his eyes open without them melting into his skull.

“It does.” Will offered him his hand, to which Nico immediately intertwined their fingers. “Sometimes, though, the border lets the weather in. Something about giving us the full experience or whatever.”

“Well, I don’t like it.” Nico huffed, watching the way his breath came out in a puff of humidity.

“I’ll be sure to file a complaint for you.” Will smiled, his foot kicking up some of the snow. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to coat every surface of the camp’s grounds.

_Off-putting_ would be how Nico would describe it, because as much as his ten-year-old self would have loved to play in the snow for the very first time, his current self was not so thrilled.

Especially at seven a.m.

He must have been glaring at the ground, because not even a second later, Will squeezed at their linked hands.

“It’s just a bit of snow.” Will nudged him with his shoulder, sending him one of those grins that made his knees suddenly very weak… “You’ll be fine.”

Nico pouted, which earned him a coo. It made him pout even more, but Will just started to swing their arms between them.

It made his lips twitch up into a smile. “I guess you’re right.”

Nico stared up at Malcolm Pace, watching the way his stormy gray eyes bored into his own. His arms were crossed, face twisted into a calculating frown.

They were in one of the many rooms the Big House…well, housed. It was set up like a classroom, with a big chalkboard at the front and a few desks strewn around the otherwise empty. Nico sat in one of them, centered right at the front of the open space.

It made for a pretty intimidating setup, and Nico was pretty sure that was what Malcolm was going for, seeing as he had a ruler he liked to smack against the palm of his hand every so often.

“Well?” Malcolm raised a brow, his fingers drumming against his forearms.

“I’m thinking…” Nico pressed his lips together, staring off at one of the chipping floorboards.

This whole thing started because of an embarrassing remark Nico that had slipped right out of his lips. 

It had been a slow day, and Nico had become bored waiting around for Will’s shift in the infirmary to end, so he had snuck out one of the back doors to wander around the Big House.

At some point, Nico had come across a room with a giant map of the world on the wall. That’s where Will had found him, and the first thing he said to him was: _“Where’s Yugoslavia?”_

So now, he had regular tutoring sessions with Malcolm.

As much as Nico wanted to say this was all unnecessary, it really wasn’t. He never realized how much he had missed in those several decades, and even if he had been in the present for about four years, Nico had never bothered on catching up.

“November…”

“November…?”

A shrill scream broke through the air, making Nico purse his lips all the more. Those screams had been going on for a while now, and because the room was tucked a few ways away in the Big House, there were no windows available to see what was going on.

The only reason they hadn’t gone to investigate the ruckus was because those screams were all followed by some form of giddy laughter.

Something was going on, but it wasn’t the _we might die_ kind of situation. It was the _this is really fun_ one.

“November… 1st, 1955.” He finally answered, a small smile twisting his lips at being able to recall the date.

Malcolm nodded, his arms uncrossing from his chest. “Good. I think we’ll leave it off there. You’re learning quicker than I expected.”

Nico frowned. “Is that supposed to mean something?”

“No.” Malcolm smiled, moving back the podium and shuffling through his notes. “You’re free to go now. See you on Friday.”

Nico nodded, standing from the rickety chair attached to his desk. “Right.”

Malcolm liked to linger behind, so Nico took the liberty to just shuffle out of the room. They’d been doing this for two weeks now, but out of all those days, their sessions were only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

For two hours, which was a lot of time, in Nico’s opinion.

But they were all over before Nico knew it, and the subjects were kind of interesting…

He had that going for him, at least.

Nico stopped by the infirmary, poking his head in and scanning the entire room. When he found no one there, he decided to go search around for his personal heater.

Once he stepped onto the porch, though, he could clearly see what all the commotion was about.

About a dozen campers were running around the field, either chasing each other around or hiding behind anything they could manage to squeeze behind.

Will had told him that the snow from earlier that day was not enough to really do anything with

Just then, Connor peeked out from the side of the Big House, unleashing a flurry of snowballs on his unsuspecting targets.

The balls erupted into explosions of snow as they made contact with the fleeing campers, some of whom shrieked as they ducked behind the first thing they could find.

Connor retreated to where he came from once Harley sprang into action, releasing his own fleet of snowballs.

That’s when he noticed Will sitting at the bottom of the steps, staring up at him with tousled hair and flushed cheeks. Nico moved to sit when he patted the space beside him.

“Hey,” Will smiled, his nose a faint red against his skin, “how was your lesson?”

Nico shrugged. “It was alright. We got into a bit of the Vietnam War today.”

“Ah,” Will nodded along, wrapping an arm around his waist, “well, as you can see, I just took part in a snowball fight.”

“I can tell.” Nico reached up to dust some snow from his blond locks. “We heard everything from inside. You guys are loud.”

“Sorry, my little prince. I’ll make sure nobody makes a sound next time.”

Nico rolled his eyes, but before he could voice just how dorky Will was being, an flurry of cold, wet snow exploded between them.

“Hey, lovebirds!” Connor shouted from across the field, jumping as a few snowballs landed by his feet.

“Join the fun!” Nyssa Barrera called, shrieking when a snowball hit her right on the shoulder.

Judging by the wide smile on Will’s face, he was all too eager to get back out there.

And just as he thought, Will jumped up from his spot, offering Nico a hand. “What do you say?”

Nico looked back to the scene behind him, finding a flurry of snowballs flying through the air. Screams also tore through, followed by lots of laughter and teasing words.

It looked… fun.

Nico bit back his smile, desperately trying to hide the giddiness his ten-year-old self solely ran on. Now that he wasn’t three steps away from slumping over and going back to sleep, the snow _did_ look enticing…

“Can we… can we build a snowman afterward?”

Will blinked, but soon enough, a sunny smile planted itself on his lips. “We’ll even make snow angels! Now come on, we have to get to cover before Harley reloads his supply of snowballs!”

“Too late!” Harley jumped out from his tree, unleashing a relentless stream of snowballs on every single person _not_ behind some type of cover.

He quickly took Will’s hand, and as he was being pulled along, Nico laughed- a laugh he hadn’t heard from himself since his first time at camp.

* * *

_first time playing in the snow_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did look it up, and the barrier does let the weather in sometimes. 
> 
> I wanted to acknowledge how different ten-year-old Nico and fourteen-year-old Nico are. I definitely could have gone on and on about it, but I decided to keep it short and sweet.
> 
> Also, I always pictured Malcolm to have dark hair and dark eyes. I can't picture him with blond hair and gray eyes ;-;
> 
> Until next time!
> 
> _Posted: August 30, 2020._


	33. going on a double date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 12k hits! I never thought we'd make it this far if I'm being honest!
> 
> Anyhow, I'm going to stop making promises because I clearly cannot keep them! The Fierrochase fic is still not complete, but it's almost there!
> 
> Also, updates may be a little slow, since school is starting to kick my butt :p

_xxxiii._

Nico didn’t even try to hide his disappointment when Jason Grace greeted him from the other side of the door.

He huffed, leaving the door wide open and stomping back into the bathroom.

“Nice to see you too.” Jason chuckled, the click of the door slicing through the otherwise silent cabin.

Nico didn’t answer, instead moving back to stare at himself in the mirror. He noted the way his lips were a little cracked, eyes a bit too sunken, and hair an unruly mess atop of his head.

It bothered him. Made him jittery with nerves and nauseous with disdain, because not only had he spent the last few hours trying to make himself look presentable, but because he only succeeded in discovering something new about himself that he _hated._

For one, he was _way_ too skinny. Even if he’d filled out a bit with a healthy and regular eating schedule, he just couldn’t seem to shake the skeleton-like figure he carried around.

And despite all the time he’d spent above ground, Nico’s skin was still a sickly olive tone that reminded him of nothing appealing. Coupled with the dark bags under his eyes and the weird shadows cast on his face, Nico found himself turning away from his own reflection.

He definitely did not fill out the formal clothes he had been forced into.

The black button-up did nothing to hide his very thin torso- if anything, his waist was defined by the belt synching everything in. The dress pants he wore were just a bit tight, highlighting his bony hips.

There was nothing to hide behind, which only added to his growing list of insecurities.

Nico very much looked and felt… silly.

Especially after a quick peek at Jason, who filled out his dark blue button-up and cream-colored dress pants quite nicely.

And the occasion for all this dress-up?

A double date.

Jason stuck his head in the bathroom, his narrowed eyes scanning the tiny space. Nico would have told him to buzz off, but he was already making his way in and taking up the space behind Nico.

Jason started fiddling with the tie around his neck, which Nico could tell was haphazardly thrown on in the first place.

Their eyes met in the mirror. “Are you ready?”

“Are _you_ ready?” Nico shot back, shooting the disastrous looking tie a glare. “You look like you just woke up.”

This time, Jason was the one to shot him a frown. “I’ve been trying to put this thing on for the past hour, but every time I try it just ends up worse.”

Nico watched for a moment as Jason fumbled around with the tie, ending up with a messy, crumpled-up knot at the base of his collar. He threw his hands up, walking straight out of the bathroom with a groan.

“See! It’s impossible!” Jason’s mumbled complaints echoed throughout the cabin, and when Nico slipped out of the bathroom, he was met with Jason pacing around all over his cabin.

He let the scene go on for another few minutes, amusement tugging at his lips a Jason got progressively farther from the simple knot

It was when the tie was no longer around his neck and Jason looked about ready to throw the piece of fabric half-way across the room that Nico decided to step in.

“That’s because you’re stupid.” He took the tie into his hands, forcing Jason to stand still. He was only slightly- _very-_ annoyed when he had to stand on the tips of his toes to bring it around his neck.

Jason just stopped and stared, his eyes narrowing as Nico worked on looping the tie up and over itself. He had to force Jason’s head up, but he eventually got it to fit the tie snugly around his neck.

When he quickly stepped back, Jason continued to stare. He opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, a coo interrupted their staring.

Nico turned to the noise, finding none other than Piper McLean leaning against the doorframe.

Her eyes twinkled with something Nico _did not_ appreciate. “You guys are so cute.”

“Pipes!” Jason practically beamed, his eyes losing the previous curiosity from before. Piper smiled, now stepping into the room to meet Jason in an embrace.

Nico could have barfed at the lovey-dovey look Jason suddenly got, but he didn’t feel like ruining the outfit he’d spent so long putting together, so instead, he just went to sit on his bed.

After they pulled away, Jason was very obviously raking his eyes up and down Piper’s frame.

And Nico couldn’t help but admire what she had chosen for the night, but given her parentage, he wasn’t all too surprised she practically glistened in the room.

Her dress was the same color as Jason’s button-up- a deep blue color that went well with her eyes. It had a bit of a low neck, hugging her skin before flowing down into a much less fitted silhouette.

Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail, her choppy cuts delicately falling into nice curls. There were even a few shiny clips holding her hair in place, matching the navy blue of her whole ensemble.

She definitely looked nice…

After Jason was done giving her a once-over, Piper turned to him, her smile just as wide as before. “Nico! You look so cute!”

Nico frowned. “I’m not _cute._ ”

“Oh, please.” She waved him off, both her and Jason stepping over to him. “It’s nice to see you in something your size.”

“Yeah, it reminds me of how tiny you are.” Jason teased, his hand coming up to ruffle Nico’s hair. Nico let him, because as much as he worked on it in the bathroom, it didn’t look any different from how it normally sat.

And he would have said something about the _tiny_ comment, but that whole conversation would just end with Jason holding something way above his head.

So he settled on grabbing a pillow, tucking it into himself and resting his chin atop the cool fabric.

“It’s also nice to see us dressed up for once.” Piper swatted Jason’s hand away from his hair. “All I’ve ever seen any of us in are shorts and ketchup stained t-shirts.”

Nico rolled his eyes at the offended look Jason shot her. “That was _one_ time.”

“Really? What about the that white one I bought you? Or the one with the stripes? Or—"

Jason interjected with something else, and as that conversation kept growing, Nico just tuned them out.

Instead, his eyes landed on the ring at his finger.

He’d forgotten about it for a few minutes, but the bubbling anxiety over all of _this_ brewed anew at the pit of his stomach.

_Is this a good idea? Is it worth embarrassing himself for some fancy dinner and a walk in the park? But Will looked so excited when it first came up, so maybe-_

“Something wrong, Neeks?”

Nico looked up, finding both Jason and Piper staring at him. Jason was the one that had spoken, but they both looked just as concerned.

He’d gotten better at opening up, even if it was just a bit. Nico didn’t tend to keep things to himself as much as he previously did, but he was still wary of sharing things most of the time.

Especially if the person he was talking to wasn’t Will. Or Hazel. And maybe Reyna.

But he _was_ getting better, and Will constantly reminded him that there were people who cared about him, and if something was bothering him, he could talk to those people and they wouldn’t judge him at all.

So he took a deep breath, averting his eyes and forcing himself to stop twisting the ring around his finger.

“I look stupid…” He mumbled, pressing his cheek into the pillow. His eyes roamed to the bookcase off in the corner, counting the number of clutter items it held.

He felt the bed dip down beside him, and when he looked up, he found Jason sitting there, with Piper having moved around the bed and sitting on the other side.

Jason smiled. “You don’t look stupid, Nico. If anything, you look like a hundred bucks!”

“But don’t I look—”

“Very handsome? Of course.” Piper chirped, patting him on the shoulder. “And if it means anything, I’m sure Will is going to _swoon_ when he sees you.”

Nico flushed, his cheeks heating up as he buried his face into the pillow. If he was being honest, Nico was dreading the moment Will walked in for two reasons.

One of those reasons was due to Will seeing him look so out of place in the fancy clothes, which would be a whole embarrassment on its own.

The second reason would be that Nico would surely short-circuit at the sight of Will all dressed up, with his nicely curled hair and sky-blue eyes and perfect smile-

_Oh gods…_

“Hey, Nico?” Piper mumbled, and when he turned to her, she was holding the little sun plushie he thought he’d hidden away in her hands. “What’s this?”

Nico huffed, crossing his arms and avoiding the grin Jason was shooting him. “What does it look like?”

Piper offered him a lopsided smile. “I mean, I know what it is, but… why?”

“Why is everyone so surprised about it?” He took it from her grasps, staring into the ever-present smile.

“I mean, it doesn’t really fit the aesthetic.” Piper waved her hand around, gesturing to the whole room.

Black comforters, black wood, black pillows… well, Nico wouldn’t lie and say he didn’t understand the double-take, but he was surely tired of it.

“Will made it for me.” He stated as a matter of fact. Jason was obviously about to say something stupid, given his incessant eyebrow wiggling, but before he could, a knock on the door interrupted him.

“What about me?” Will cracked the door open, and when he fully stepped inside, Nico felt like his insides were set on _fire_.

There his boyfriend stood, in a pair of black dress pants and a matching black top, much like Nico’s own.

And because Will rarely ever wore black, he looked even _more_ ethereal…

Nico was aware of his staring, as was he all too aware of Will’s eyes slowly going down his body.

He had no idea when he stood from his place on his bed, nor when he had met Will in the middle of the room, but he was now suddenly staring up into Will’s incredibly blue eyes.

“Hi…” He chocked out, finding his cheeks growing very warm.

“Hey.” Will grinned, and if Nico weren’t prepared for it, he might have just collapsed right then and there. “You look nice.”

Nico looked down at himself, just to hide his flaming cheeks. “Really?”

“Beautiful.” Will took his hand, his thumb slowly running over Nico’s knuckles.

“I-I guess it’s okay.” He mumbled out, and from behind him, he heard the click of some heels and other more muffled footsteps.

“Oh, so _now_ he thinks it’s nice,” Jason grumbles.

There was a sharp slap, which Nico only assumed was Piper smacking Jason on the shoulder. When he turned to stand beside Will, she visibly straightened up. “Are we all ready, then?”

“Well, considering nobody has their jackets with them, I’m going to say _no_.” Will drawled, raising his other hand. Nico hadn’t noticed it before, but in his hold was a burly looking jacket, all big and fluffy and looking incredibly stuffy.

Piper nodded, taking Jason’s hand and moving past them. “Right. I saw Jason coming over from my cabin’s window, so I followed. We’ll be back in a minute.”

“And we’ll be quick, so don’t get any ideas, you two!” Jason called behind him, earning him another slap from Piper.

Nico turned to fetch his own jacket, thankful for the opportunity to hide his flushed cheeks.

Once he’d calmed down, he turned back to find Will holding a black tie in his hands, paired with a sheepish little smile.

Nico blinked.

“Help me with my tie?”

This was only the second time he’s left camp since the end of the summer. Well, aside from his occasional trips to the Underworld.

Jules-Albert drove them to the fancy restaurant, dropping them off right in front of its red carpet. Will had rushed to Nico’s side of the vehicle, offering him his hand in an obnoxiously gentleman-like way.

It reminded him of his childhood.

Jason was much less formal, nearly tripping over himself as he went open the front door for them.

Once inside, everything was suddenly very dim. The little candle lights that hung from the ceiling only lit up so much, giving the place an ominous look. Nico didn’t mind it- in fact, he had immediately been teased for the dark interior being so alike to his style.

Their coats were taken before Piper walked up to the hostess stand, claiming their reservations.

Nico had shrunk in on himself as they walked past other couples enjoying their food, but with Will squeezing at their linked hands, he didn’t feel so nervous anymore.

The hostess led them to a square table off in the back, tucked right by a large window with a view of the sunset outside. Nico was surprised he didn’t simply stop functioning, because _Will_ and _golden hour_ was not a combination he could handle very well.

And once they were well into the night, Nico forgot about his little worries. It helped that Will was beside him, holding him close by the hip and sharing his overwhelmingly soothing heat.

It went… better than expected.

Now, all four of them were roaming around a nearby park, enjoying the scenery before them and talking about whatever came to mind.

Before they even left Camp Half-Blood, there had been a long discussion over the weapons they would bring with them.

It started when Nico had reached for his sheat, which was quickly met with disapproval from Will. When Jason and Piper returned, they too turned down Nico’s insistence of bringing his sword.

_Besides, we won’t be completely defenseless. Piper’s bringing her dagger._

_Then why can’t I bring my sword?_

_Because my dagger is strapped to my thigh. Hidden underneath my dress._

But it all worked out- their scent was hidden behind the large groups of mortals in the restaurant, and here, in the park, there were enough smells wafting through the city to get by.

Granted, a walk in the park on a December night wasn’t the brightest idea, but it was one last thing both Jason and Piper wanted to do before they traveled back to California.

Which also explained their _very_ out of character want to go to a flashy restaurant.

To help combat the cold, they had picked up some hot chocolate from a nearby vendor. The marshmallows Nico added made the drink very sweet, but he still nearly chugged it down before Will sternly told him he would burn his tongue if he didn’t slow down.

Even so, they finished their drinks rather quickly.

Nico only had to restrain himself a handful of times from hitting Jason, but other than that, the night went well.

And when they stopped on a bridge and Will enthusiasticly pressed their lips together, he couldn’t help but smile into the kiss.

_Perfect._

* * *

_first time on a double date_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of insecurities at the start because our baby isn't the most confident person around ;-;
> 
> But yay! Jason and Piper! I feel like the four of them for sure had a double date at some point, and (spoilers) while I don't exactly know when they broke up, we'll say it wasn't anytime around December.
> 
> And (more spoilers) I got really sad writing this, because I can only imagine Nico's reaction to his best friends's death :/ 
> 
> Anyway, this chapter doesn't have a lot of dialogue, but there are sprinkles of fluff thrown around! I hope that was enough for you guys!
> 
> Until next time!
> 
> _Posted: September 4, 2020._


	34. meeting his parents

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I just want to drop by and say that I’ve released my Fierrochase fic I promised two chapters ago! It's called [Taste of Your Lips](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26333269), and it is very lengthy and smutty! Check it out and appreciate it because I put so much effort into it >:(
> 
> Anyways, Logan Lerman was trending on Twitter a while ago and I got scared he was being canceled, but turns out he's just hot <33
> 
> This chapter is a very anticipated chapter, from what I can tell! So with that, enjoy!

_xxxiv._

Nico could tell Will was nervous.

It started with a neatly written letter on his bedside table. Nico wasn’t all too surprised with it, because whenever those letters showed up, he was being given a date and time for the next family dinner in the Underworld.

That time, however, there were an additional few words at the very bottom of the page, instructing him to bring his _glowy boyfriend_ along.

Nico had been with Will when he opened the letter, and he remembered blushing furiously at that bit. When he finally decided to show Will, he had been surprisingly calm and composed, uttering a simple _okay._

But now, Will had this weird look on his face, and every time Nico tried to meet his eyes, he looked away almost instantly.

And he never did that, which meant this was _serious._

Nico squeezed at their linked hands. “Are you okay?”

“Y-Yeah.” Will immediately croaked, his voice coming out unnaturally high. “I just, uh…”

Nico found the look on his face amusing, his mouth slightly agape and eyes staring off into the distance.

They were at the gates of the Underworld, the endless aura of death and giant red landscape looming high over them.

Truthfully, Nico could have just shadow traveled them straight into the palace, or even right into the dining room- but he had a feeling jumping into things wouldn’t be good for Will’s nerves.

With that in mind, Nico purposefully took them to the very entrance of the Underworld, because whenever he was feeling down, a quick visit to a certain _someone_ always made him brighten up.

“Come on,” he pulled Will along, pushing the grand gates open.

“Wait, aren’t the gates to the Underworld guarded by—”

As if on cue, a big blur of black came rushing to them.

Nico smiled while Will stiffened up, the hand in his tightening considerably and body ready to bolt from the scene.

But Nico only laughed, wiggling his hand out of Will’s when those three heads came to nuzzle all over him, their slobber dripping all over the ground as Nico pet each and every one of them.

He nearly drowned in their excited nuzzling, and he had almost forgotten why he was there in the first place, but then the head at his right broke away from their cuddle session, a low growl ripping through his throat.

When he looked back to Will, he found him oddly relaxed. Well, he still looked cautious, but it was much more toned down than before.

“Stay,” Nico told Cerberus, wiggling away from their heated breaths. He made his way over to Will, who had stepped behind a few steps.

Now, all three of Cerberus’ heads were craned down to them, their eyes narrowed and growling through their sharp teeth.

Nico grabbed him by the arm, inching him closer to the twitching snouts.

“They’re harmless.” Nico smiled, holding Will’s arm out in front of them. “They just need to smell you.”

“Nico, sweetie,” Will offered him a tiny smile, flinching as all three heads came down to sniff at his outstretched arm. “I don’t think _harmless_ is the right word.”

Nico huffed. “Fine. He’s a scary dog that will swallow you in one bite.”

Will’s lips curled up into a genuine smile. “Well, that’s more of what I’d expect.”

“And that’s the last time I try being nice.” Nico snarked back, but to his surprise, Will didn’t look nearly as scared as he had back in the beginning.

Just as he might have been ready to return the smile, one of the giant dog snouts nudged against his back, pushing him straight into Will’s chest.

It was all the three heads needed to start nuzzling against them.

Will was even laughing at this point, which Nico counted as a big win for him.

The heads leaned off of them for a moment, but before they could be coated in dog-slobber, Nico dug out a big red ball from his duffle bag, holding it up in the air before throwing it as far as he could.

“So that’s why you had that ball with you.” Will watched, amazed as Cerberus scrambled off to catch the strikingly red rubber ball.

Nico nodded. “I got three, actually. Here, we’ve got some time to kill.”

“I didn’t expect him to be so… transparent.” Will absentmindedly commented, the remnants of laughter still evident in his eyes.

They’d spent some time playing fetch with Cerberus, tossing the ball around and cracking jokes every now and then. They’d even got a whole petting session in before it was time to move on, leaving the three heads to chew on their new toys as they made their way to the palace.

And while playing with Cerberus did shake Will’s nerves away, Nico could tell they were slowly coming back.

“Transparent?” Nico asked, which earned him a nod. “Good. The clearer he becomes, the closer you are to death.”

Admittedly, that wasn’t something you’d say to calm someone’s nerves, but it’s the first thing that came to Nico’s mind.

Will just gave him a wobbly smile.

They continued walking through his father’s domain because Will absolutely refused to let him shadow travel them straight to the palace, especially after he’d just brought them to Cerberus.

And he _was_ feeling a little dizzy, but Will didn’t need to know that.

Either way, they ended up walking to the palace, hand in hand and eyes pointed forward, as to avoid the ever-growing line at the Judgement Pavilion or the guttural groans at the Fields of Asphodel.

He did sense Will’s eyes roaming around the place, but Nico kept his focus ahead of them. Maybe one day he’d take Will around the Underworld, but that day wasn’t the day.

Will was in the middle of saying something when a dark figure pooled around their feet, engulfing them into the shadows.

They emerged not even a second later, standing right at the center of the throne room.

Nico had to steady himself at the sudden change, but when he looked up, the sight wasn’t much too different from what he’d grown used to.

There, Hades sat on his throne, his arms resting on the armrests and feet planted firmly on the ground. There was an air of intimidation emanating from him, his dark eyes visibly scrutinizing them from afar.

At his left, Persephone sat, legs crossed and cheek resting in the palm of her hand. Much like Hades, her eyes were narrowed, scanning over them before landing on their intertwined hands.

“Nico.” His father greeted, his booming voice echoing throughout the room. “I see you’ve managed to distract my guard dog.”

Nico frowned. “It’s nice to see you too, father.”

There was a beat of silence in which Nico swore he could see the very corner of his father’s lips twitch upwards, but it didn’t last long, seeing as his gaze then fell on Will.

Will audibly gulped, and Nico wanted to run his hand down his back- too soothe the violent shiver that jerked his body, but Will did nothing more than stand tall and squeeze at Nico’s hand.

“And you…” Hades mumbled, eyes narrowing at the space between them.

Nico was about to say something, but before he could, Will cleared his throat. “Will Solace, son of Apollo, sir.”

“Apollo?” Persephone raised a brow, her eyes scanning him up and down. “I suppose that does explain it.”

Will, despite his obvious nerves, perked up.

Nico didn’t think much of it, but when Will’s fingers slipped right out of his, he raised a brow of his own.

“Lady Persephone.” Will stepped forward and bowed, his hand simultaneously digging through the bag at his side. “I thought you might appreciate these…”

From his bag, he produced a small potted bundle of cheerful yellow blooms, the ones Nico only ever saw in and around the Apollo cabin.

“From the Island of Delos…” Persephone leaned forward, taking the little pot into both of her hands. She held them up to her face, taking a deep breath before admiring them once more.

Nico suddenly felt a wave of self-consciousness wash over him. _Of course_ he hadn’t thought to bring something for Will’s mother, even if it were just a simple bouquet of flowers…

“My father’s sacred island.” Will nodded, his hands coming together at his back.

Persephone seemed content with the flowers, fingering at their petals and smiling as they brushed against her fingertips.

Hades watched her for a second, the same loving look Nico’s grown familiar with flashing over his eyes at the sight of a content Persephone.

Then, his gaze settled on Will.

“I expect your courtship with my son has been nothing but…” he paused, glancing over Will’s shoulder and shooting Nico a knowing look, _“respectful.”_

“Father!” Nico’s cheeks immediately _burned,_ because not too long ago, he had told Nico how he first figured out he had a boyfriend.

It wasn’t too long after they’d been dating, and it honestly was about the second time Will had spent the night with him, cuddling and holding one another into the night.

He’d been summoned for an errand the following afternoon, but _apparently,_ Hades had tried to get a hold of him much earlier.

In short, his father had seen them cuddling. Alone. In _his_ cabin…

“With all due respect, Lord Hades,” Will craned his head up, far enough to presumably make eye contact, given his father’s narrowed eyes, “I would never do anything to upset your son. I’d never consciously disrespect him, and I’ll only go against his word when it involves his health, because as capable as Nico is, he’s also really stubborn.

“But when he’s not hiding a stab wound from me, he can be really amazing. I never expected him to choose _me_ out of all people, but I…” He glanced back towards Nico, his cheeks tinted a light red and smile wide on his lips. “I’m really happy we got together. Nico is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Nico blinked once, twice, and then another time before the blush set in, followed by the violent swirling in his stomach.

Without thinking, Nico walked up to Will and easily instantly fell into his arms, their mixed laughter echoing throughout the throne room.

He was only pulled back into reality when he felt a hand at his shoulder, grabbing him in a firm hold.

“Son.” He looked up, finding Hades out of his throne and standing before them. “I’m glad you’ve found your happiness.”

Anybody else might have looked at him and thought he was joking, but for Nico, he could easily tell the comment was sincere.

It… made his smile much wider.

“We must get going now, lest our dinner grows cold.” Hades squeezed Nico’s shoulder one last time, but as he did so, his eyes roamed straight to Will.

Thankfully, Will immediately began digging through his bag. “Oh, we packed our own food. We just need to heat it up, if that’s alright.”

Hades slowly nodded, retracting his hand before moving towards the doors, presumably to head to the dining room. “Hand it to one of the servants and they will take care of it for you.”

Will blinked before nodding, leaving Nico’s side to go straight to one of the skeleton’s waiting by the door. He didn’t leave without pressing a kiss to Nico’s cheek, though.

And Nico watched him for a minute, smiling at the way he curiously eyed the servant as he handed him their packaged meals. His doctor's brain was obviously running rampant at the numerous interactions.

He’d grown so distracted watching Will trail behind the servant that he nearly jumped when a warm presence was suddenly by his side.

“He’s certainly made an impression, hasn’t he?” Persephone teased, leaning down to ruffle his hair. “For the record, I was the one to convince Hades _not_ to immediately send him to the Fields of Punishment.”

The first thing that came to Nico’s mind was sarcasm, but it probably wasn’t the best reply he could give to his stepmother. So, he bit his tongue. “…Thank you.”

Persephone hummed. “Besides, the gift was a nice touch. You could learn a thing or two for the next visit.”

“But I visit regularly—"

“Hush or I’ll turn you into one of these.” She held up the pot, whose flowers now looked healthier than before. Her lips curled into a grin before she strolled right past him. “Come, let’s follow them before Hades scares the poor boy away.”

* * *

_first time meeting his parents_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this like the third time I've made Will go on and on about how much he likes Nico? Sorry, but he is _totally_ head over heels for that boy.
> 
> I don't know if you guys know this, but there's this [interview](https://www.readriordan.com/2019/12/17/navigating-family-reunions-with-nico-and-hades/) thing with Hades, Nico, and Uncle Rick. Hades refers to Will as Nico's _glowy boyfriend_ , which is where I got that line from <3
> 
> I picture both Hades and Persephone to appear more like how they do in that one Webtoons series, Lore Olympus. You know, Hades with his suits and Persephone with her flowy, long hair...
> 
> Until next time, whenever that will be!
> 
> _Posted: September 8, 2020._


	35. singing to him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've got five more chapters to go before we're done here! Don't be too sad, because then I can start on my next project for this lovely couple <33
> 
> Enjoy this tooth-rotting fluff!

_xxxv._

Will was humming under his breath, his fingers drumming in rhythm against the soft skin of Nico’s bare thigh.

He was snuggled right up against his boyfriend, head lolled to the side and pressed atop of Nico’s lap. Nico didn’t mind- in fact, one of his hands had been running through Will’s hair for the past half hour, the other holding a book Malcolm had given him.

And while he was all for Nico studying and whatnot, Will had been promised the cuddles he’d snuck in for about twenty minutes ago, but all Nico had done ever since he first stepped foot into the Hades cabin was change and read his dumb book.

So he’d curled into the covers, immediately latching onto Nico’s side.

A few seconds later, Nico’s fingers had found their way to his hair.

Will would always welcome the feel of fingers on his head, especially when they were Nico’s. There was something so soothing about having that tiny hand run all over his wild curls, massaging his scalp and melting away all his worries…

But Will was a little restless, so he’d taken to tracing patterns all over Nico’s skin.

On very rare days, Nico would forgo wearing _stuffy pajama pants,_ as he’d called them, to bed.

Well, he’d only done it once before, and Will almost had a heart attack when he’d seen his little Neeks in nothing but one of Will’s hoodies and a pair of fluffy socks.

Nico had been equally flustered that night, if not, more than Will had been.

This time, however, Nico had stolen the hoodie right from his persona, sauntering over to the bathroom before emerging much as he had the very first time.

The hoodie was a golden yellow with the word _Solace_ printed on the back, something that made his insides feel all funny. Before he could dwell any longer on the churn to his stomach, Will’s eyes immediately landed on those bare legs.

Even if it was annoyingly cold, Nico told him he would suffocate if he had to deal with both the heavy comforters and Will’s radiating heat, but all Will could pay attention to was the blush dusting those pale cheeks.

He had _really_ wanted to kiss him at that moment.

The hoodie was way too big for him, and it fell right past his fingertips. The hem of it fell just above his mid-thigh, and when he shuffled atop of the bed, the short thing left _very_ little to the imagination…

Nico ignored him as he had slipped right into bed, pressing his back against a bunch of pillows propped on the headboard. He reached for a book by his nightstand, and after Will figured Nico wasn’t going to respond to his suggestive winks, he huffed.

He couldn’t ogle his boyfriend anymore, given the thick comforters now thrown over his shapely legs. Will tried entertaining himself with other things, but he just yawned and grew tired of loitering around, so he had just decided to climb into bed, latching up to Nico’s midsection and mooching off of the cuddles he craved.

Soon enough, Will had leaned forward enough to rest his head atop of Nico’s lap, his arms slipping under the covers and brushing against Nico’s warm skin.

It didn’t take long for Will to grow bored of just lying about, nudging Nico’s arm and grasping at his hip.

Nico grumbled in annoyance, swatting his hand away from his hips and burying his unoccupied hand in Will’s hair. It was all he needed to be content once again.

But Will later found himself moving his hand downwards, his fingers passing over Nico’s plush thigh.

And he couldn’t help but run them up and down, over and across, appreciating the soft skin beneath his fingertips…

His fingers never went under the fabric of the hoodie, instead stopping just at the hem before roaming back down to brush against Nico’s knee, the process repeating every few seconds.

_That tickles,_ Nico had said.

_Can I hear you laugh?_ Will cheekily asked, only to be met with a pillow to the face.

And that’s where they found themselves at now, more than a few minutes of Nico running his hands through his hair and Will roaming his fingers all over Nico’s skin, tracing little patterns and enjoying the big handful he could take and squeezed.

He could just imagine the blush on Nico’s cheeks, but he was too comfortable to move and look.

That’s when he started humming, thumping his fingers against Nico’s thigh.

They’d only been able to do this a handful of times since they’d been caught by practically everyone at camp. Chiron started enforcing the rule of _no two campers alone in a cabin_ ever since that fated night, but that didn’t stop Will.

It helped that his siblings were willing- _okay, he had to bribe them four out of five times_ \- to cover for him.

At least they were able to keep Nico over at the Apollo table without any fuss.

“Are you done yet?” Nico huffed, glancing down and shooting him a cute little glare. “I’m trying to focus.”

Will just nuzzled further onto Nico’s lap. “And I’m trying to cuddle, but _somebody_ insists on reading.”

Nico rolled his eyes just as Will stuck his tongue out, moving back to comfortably lay against his own personal teddy bear.

And after a few minutes of nothing happening, Will started humming along to _Twinkle Twinkle Little Star._ It was slow and gentle, his energy slipping away from him at the constant run of Nico’s fingers, massaging his scalp and detangling the very few knots that came with the curls.

He would have guessed Nico would tell him to shut up again, but surprisingly, he caught the tail end of a few gentle purrs.

His eyes, previously closed shut, snapped open.

Will paused his humming, because he _swore_ he heard something other than his own voice. Sure enough, if he strained his ear, he could hear Nico mumbling below his breath.

Not just mumbling- but _singing._

It was barely above a whisper and Will was pretty sure it was nothing more than vague murmurs, but _Nico was singing._

_In Italian,_ he noted.

Will hadn’t noticed when he’d shifted ever-so-slightly, nor when he began to stare up at Nico, a wide smile spread on his lips as those dark eyes blissfully continued to skim his boring book. He just sat and drank up the lovely sounds his boyfriend was making.

And Will nearly kicked himself when their gazes met, resulting in Nico slamming his mouth closed as a vibrant red crawled up his neck.

The hand in his hair stilled, too.

“Will—”

“I didn’t know you could sing.” He blurted out before he could stop himself, the goofy smile straining his sleepy features.

Nico blinked, shooting him one of his famous death glares before slamming the book shut, moving to place it back on the nightstand. “I can’t.”

“What was that, then?” Will teased, reaching up to pinch one of Nico’s flaming cheeks. He barely got a few seconds of it before Nico was swatting his hand away, crossing his arms and pouting that irresistible little pout of his.

“Y-You reminded me of a lullaby I know…”

“Oh?” Will coaxed Nico’s hand out of his crossed arms, bringing it down to gently stroke at his palm. “What lullaby?”

Nico frowned once again, his nose doing the cute thing it always does and scrunching up. “Um, it starts with _fa la ninna,_ but I can’t… I don’t _remember_ it- I just know it.”

Will raised a brow.

“I-It feels familiar, like… like someone used to sing it to me, but I can’t _remember._ ” Nico frowned, his hand twitching in Will’s.

As much as he hadn’t meant to seemingly irritate Nico, he was more than a little curious over what it was that apparently crossed his mind every so often.

“Sing it to me?” he raised Nico’s hand to his lips, making sure to maintain eye contact as he pressed a kiss to each and every one of his knuckles. “Please?”

Nico looked down at him for a moment, his face as devoid of emotion as ever. But then, he sighed, the tension slipping away from his body and replacing it with a sad little deflation.

Will was about to retract his request, but then, Nico smiled. “Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“Please, you sound better than me—"

“Shush.” Nico cleared his throat, and he really didn’t need to, because the next few words that came out of his mouth were like honey. _“Fa la ninna, fa la nanna…”_

And that’s where Will fell asleep, listening to Nico effortlessly sing him a lullaby.

* * *

_first time singing to him_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted something fluffy and sweet, and the image of Nico in an oversized hoodie was just calling my name, and it all led to this-
> 
> And yes, it was his Mamma that sung this to both Bianca and Nico ;-;
> 
> On another random note, I hope we get to see them kiss in The Tower of Nero! I _need_ more canon fluff!
> 
> (If anybody is interested, there is a recording/translations on [this](https://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=1447) website!)
> 
> _Posted: September 12, 2020._


	36. gushing over him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quite a bit of Italian in this one, so I put the translations at the end notes! At least, what I hope are the translations, because I am once again using Google Translate >.<
> 
> And whoever said if you speak Spanish then you can basically understand Italian (and vice versa), you are wrong (well, maybe a few words, but complete sentences? Nope-).
> 
> Enjoy!

_xxxvi._

_“Non essere così timido.”_ Chiara Benvenuti’s voice filtered through the air, her strong and silky tone floating over the chatter of the infirmary.

Will absentmindedly looked over his shoulder, his eyes unconsciously drifting to where he had last seen Nico.

He was sitting on one of the unoccupied cots in the corner, his legs crossed in front of himself and fingers picking at the loose thread of his hoodie.

Well- _Jason’s_ hoodie, given the purple and gold with the _SPQR_ right on the front (Will felt ridiculous for the smidges of jealousy that shook him whenever he looked at his boyfriend in Grace’s clothes, and he had quite a few of them—).

Whenever Will asked him about them, Nico had refused to comment, much less wear them out in public. This time, Will knew he needed a quick change out of his soaked clothes, curtesy of that night’s Capture the Flag game.

Said game was also the reason the infirmary was busier than normal.

Will would have mourned over the fact that he had to stay up working rather than melting into his warm bed, but now, he was starting to grow a little curious…

What made him raise a brow was the fact that Chiara was leaning against the cot Nico had claimed, her lips pulled into a scary grin and eyes glinting in the light. She had a bandage wrapped around her head, but other than that, there was no reason she should still be hanging around the infirmary.

Will turned to the unconscious son of Nemesis he was looming over. _That’s why._

Damien had knocked out as soon as his head hit the pillow, which was probably for the better, considering his arm needed stitches. He knew Damien would squirm at the prospect of needles, but Will had probably been a little too relieved once the other had become unresponsive.

_After_ he made sure he was fine, of course.

The chatter was starting to grow less and less noisy, considering the campers good enough to go were scrambling out before the harpies started making their rounds. This made the existing conversations stand out all the more, and while Will was normally good about tuning them out and not being nosy, he couldn’t help but straighten up at the sound of his name.

_“No!”_ Nico practically shrieked, his voice sounding as it normally did whenever he was embarrassed.

_“Ma figurati!”_ Chiara replied, clearly holding back her laughter. _“Mi stai dicendo che non l'hai mai fatto—"_

_“E tu e—”_

_“Non cambiare argomento!”_

Their conversation grew silent after that- or, at the very least, quiet. He didn’t dare look over his shoulder and glance back at his boyfriend, because if he did and he found an embarrassed looking Nico with a jutted out bottom lip and cherry-red cheeks, he wouldn’t be able to focus for much longer.

Plus, he was happy Nico no longer hid from social interactions. It was something they’d been working on, and every time Nico kept a conversation going for longer than a few minutes, Will counted that as a win.

Especially if they were with people not in Nico’s immediate circle of friends. Chiara was definitely not somebody he talked to on the daily, and given their similarities in heritage, Will was glad they were talking so enthusiastically.

Even if it sounded like Chiara was practically teasing Nico to death. 

Will sighed, turning to the thread clenched tightly in the suture needle. Thankfully, the wound wasn’t _too_ big, so it didn’t take that long to stitch. All he needed to do now was bandage the arm up so the stitches won’t be disturbed throughout the night.

As he did so, Will could practically _feel_ the pair of eyes on him. He wasn’t doing much, just cleaning up the little workspace he had beside his stool, but the eyes just stared and stared for what felt like hours.

He got up to throw some things away and wash his hands, and in the meantime, snuck a little glance towards the corner in question.

Neither of them were looking at him, but he _just_ caught the tail end of Nico jerking his head to the side, his damp hair swooshing against the air and cheeks a pretty pink. He was fiddling with the ring on his finger, twisting it even when the sleeves fell over his hands.

He looked as adorable as ever, but Will forced himself not to stare. He vaguely registered Chiara seated on the cot, one leg bent in front of her and the other dangling off the side. She was still sporting her wicked look, but this time, it was wobbling between a smirk and a smile.

And just as quickly his eyes had flown up to stare, they were once again on his own duties.

Sure, Will was kind of curious as to what they were talking about, but he had a pretty good guess brewing at the back of his mind.

Without another glance, he went off to bandage Damien’s arm.

_“…e quei muscoli.”_ Chiara dreamily sighed. _“Vorrei passare le mani su quelli.”_

That comment, from what Will could see, made Nico turn a bright red. Even if he tried to be discrete about it, Will could see Nico peeking up at him under his bangs.

And before Will could fully look up and embarrass Nico all the more, a few rough taps hit him right on the shoulder. When he glanced over, Kayla was standing there, her eyes scanning the room. “Looks like we’re all done.”

Will blinked, lifting his head and pointedly glossing over the spot where Nico and Chiara had claimed. It did, in fact, look like everyone was taken care of.

He leaned against the counter behind him, the wood digging into his already aching back. “I guess you’re right.”

They stood there for a moment, relishing in the peace and quiet. Well, until Chiara laughed.

“What’s with those two?” Kayla straightened up, throwing the paper towel she had been using away. “They’ve been at it ever since we got here.”

“I have no idea.” He thought back to when he heard his name, the moment making a bit more sense after all the glances and blushes.

“Well, we can go now. Austin’s got the night shift covered and _you’ve_ got the morning shift.”

“Who decided that?” Will frowned.

“I did.” She waved her arms around, gesturing to the occupied corner. “Now go get your boyfriend and drop him off at his cabin so we can all go to sleep.”

Will would have said something more, but just as he opened his mouth, a pair of footsteps thumped against the wooden floor.

“Actually, I’m not staying here.” Chiara bounded over, followed closely by a sulky looking Nico.

Scratch that- a _shy_ looking Neeks.

“Well, you _do_ know curfew was like an hour ago, right?” Kayla raised a brow, stepping off in the direction of the door.

“Yeah. We got a little sidetracked.” She said without any shame, and by the way Nico was looking at her, she shouldn’t have spoken so nonchalantly.

“What was that all about, by the way? You guys were in full Italian mode for some time.”

“Oh, you know…” Chiara grinned, tilting her head to the side. “We talked. About boys. All that fun stuff…”

Will blinked once, then twice, and even a third time before the smirk made its way to his face. _So_ that’s _why Nico was so flustered._

Kayla, however, scrunched up her nose. “Considering I hear the name _‘Will’_ being thrown around, gross.”

“Hey!” He frowned, but Will couldn’t quite keep the smugness off of his face. Especially when Nico looked about ready to combust.

“Wait up! I’ll walk with you!” Chiara chirped, earning a nod from Kayla.

“Will, I’m expecting you to actually show up to your own cabin.” She gave him a pointed look, one with a grin attached to the end. “Whenever you stay over, you always show up late—"

“Yeah, yeah,” he waved her off, “just give me a minute, will you?”

Kayla rolled her eyes but thankfully complied, holding the door open and mumbling to herself.

_“In bocca al lupo.”_ Chiara nudged Nico on the side, shooting him one final wink before joining Kayla at the door.

Will stood there for a solid two seconds before leaning into Nico, their shoulders brushing one another as he idly breathed in the generic shampoo they had in the infirmary’s showers.

Nico made it smell amazing, though.

“So—"

“Not a word.”

* * *

_first time gushing over him_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Translations:_
> 
> _C: Don't be so shy!_  
>  -  
>  _N: No!_
> 
> _C: Come on! You're telling me you've never-_
> 
> _N: What about you and-_
> 
> _C: Don't change the subject!_  
>  -  
>  _C: ...and those muscles. I would like to run my hands all over those._  
>  -  
>  _C: Good luck_
> 
> You know, I don't have a boyfriend, but if I did, I'd for sure talk about him all the time. I'll just say that in this conversation, Nico _did_ talk quite a bit about Will, and Chiara teased him to no end...
> 
> Until next time!
> 
> _Posted: September 16, 2020._


	37. falling ill

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I'm very excited to say I'll be going to one of the online tours for ToN! I'm getting a signed copy of the book and Nico's little _Cabin Thirteen_ cap! I'll be reading it as soon as I get my hands on it >.<
> 
> And I haven't acknowledged it, but thank you guys so much for all the hits, kudos, and comments these past few chapters!

_xxxvii._

Apparently, it wasn’t _impossible_ for children of Apollo to grow ill.

Apparently, they had this thing against winter. At least, the first day of winter. Will hadn’t explained it very well, but what Nico got from it was something about winter being all dark and depressing for children of the sun god.

And _apparently,_ they were all a bunch of babies.

_It’s just like the common cold,_ Cecil had told him, a snicker clear on his lips. _They act like they’re dying, though._

Nico hadn’t believed him at the time, but when he entered the Apollo cabin that morning, well…

_“Nico…”_ Will’s raised his arm, though it flopped back against the mattress almost immediately, hanging off the side and twitching with every cough that shook the bundle of blankets.

Nico’s heart would have melted at the utterly broken whimper Will let out- if it hadn’t been the tenth time he’s heard it that morning.

“I’m coming.” He mumbled, idly balancing the bed tray with a mug of hot chocolate and a plate of chocolate chip cookies in his hold. Nico was just a bit bitter, because if the positions had been reversed, Will would surely have shoved a plate of a disgustingly healthy breakfast down his throat.

But Nico was nice enough _not_ to do that.

It surely didn’t have anything to do with the three of them insisting on nothing but sweets. Harassing him with their groggy replies and threats of rhyming curses.

He stood right by Will’s bed, rolling his eyes when Will made no move to sit up. Nudging the limp around hanging off the mattress, Nico frowned. “You have to sit up, Will.”

The ball of blankets stirred, and with it, a blond head of curls spilled against the stark-white bedsheets. His arm retracted back into the nest, disappearing from sight.

“No…” the cocoon of blankets groaned, shifting over to face Nico. Once again, Nico’s heart would have exploded in pity, had Will not been grating on his last nerves.

Will’s eyes were puffy, and when he opened them, they were always half-lidded. They didn’t seem to shine as they always did, instead diluted back into a dull blue color. His nose was bright red against his tan skin, no doubt irritated with every pass of a tissue Will pressed against it.

That thing that made children of Apollo special was seemingly drained from his persona. Even Austin and Kayla looked… discolored- Kayla with half her body hanging off her bed and Austin tightly clutching a pillow to his chest.

He didn’t even want to _think_ about getting them to sit up.

Nico set the tray down atop of Will’s bookcase, crossing his arms and putting on his best glare.

Will just cooed. “You… cute.”

“Can you just sit up?” Nico grit out, his cheeks warming at the comment. It didn’t help that the cabin was still unnaturally warm, even if the temperature outside was well below comfortable.

Still, Will groaned and shuffled further into his cocoon. “Don’t wanna.”

It was a few minutes before anybody did anything, which Nico used to just _think_. He didn’t want to do anything drastic, but he also didn’t know how to get his stubborn boyfriend to comply. Not to mention the other two stubborn siblings he’d have to coax out of their mulling.

_Gods, and it’s only breakfast…_

Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. An embarrassing idea, but an idea nonetheless.

He uncrossed his arms, perching his hands against his thighs as he leaned forward. Will’s eyes fluttered open, and Nico thinly smiled. “If you sit up, I’ll give you a kiss.”

Will stared at him for an embarrassing amount of time, and Nico was starting to worry he’d embarrassed himself for no reason, but slowly, Will perked up. “Promise?”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Promise.”

So, slowly but surely, Will unraveled himself from his nest of bedsheets and sat up against the headboard, leaning atop of a bunch of pillows Nico had propped up for him. When Will leaned forward with closed eyes and puckered lips, Nico plopped the tray over her lap and pressed a quick kiss to his temple.

Before Will could pout, Nico moved over to set up Austin’s tray, complete with a generous slice of apple pie and another serving of hot chocolate. Kayla just wanted something cold to drink chocolaty to eat, so Nico brought her a glass of milk and a stack of brownies with some hot fudge dripping off the sides. Really, he went a little overboard on the fudge, but it was arguably the best part of any dessert.

Now he just had to get them to sit up…

He couldn’t bribe them with kisses, and considering Will’s mumbling from behind him, he didn’t want to do something to upset them much. Three grumpy Apollo kids would be a nightmare to deal with.

“I don’t want any kisses.” Austin waved him off as soon as he stepped close, making Nico’s cheeks heat up. Will said something, but Nico ignored it in favor of waving the apple pie around in front of Austin’s face. As soon as he caught a whiff of it, he bolted upright and started shoveling the filling in his mouth.

Nico thanked the gods Kayla was already up by the time he made his way to her, patting her stomach and groggily thanking him.

Will was apparently the most stubborn child of Apollo.

When he went back to sit next to said stubborn blond, he was met with a pouted. “You promised.”

“And I fulfilled that promise.” Nico snatched a cookie, nibbling on the sweet before sticking his tongue out in retaliation. He leaned back just before Will could nip at it.

Unfortunately, Will was very good at getting what he wanted. Not even a second later, a pair of lips pressed against his cheek.

Nico blinked, watching as Will melted back into his mountain of pillow, nearly knocking the tray and its contents right off the bed.

Will grinned. “I’ll settle for that, but you still owe me.”

“Kayla, can you open your mouth, please?”

“But it’s so _hot._ ”

“I’m trying to take your temperature.” Nico gestured to the thermometer in his hands, his brows knitting together. He’d had some suspicion Kayla was running a high fever, because unlike her siblings, she had long since kicked off the covers from her bed.

Plus, she constantly looked flustered, her cheeks and neck a light pink as a few beads of sweat pooled at her forehead.

“Open the windows!” She groaned, falling back onto her bed and nearly smacking her head on the headboard.

“No!” the other two shouted behind him, as if he _didn’t_ already know that was a bad idea.

He ignored them, turning to press the back of his hand to her forehead. Kayla immediately sighed, and he guessed it was because his skin was always so cold, which just added to his theory.

“Here.” He stuck the thermometer in her mouth before she could protest, moving away and heading to the bathroom. “Don’t take it out of your mouth. I’ll go get you something to cool down.”

Nico rummaged around until he found a deep enough bowl to fill with lukewarm water, dunking a folded-up towel into it.

Will had told him once that it was better to cool people down with warm water, as the cold water constricted blood vessels, which would just trap the body heat. He’d have to get her something cold to eat, as well as plenty of water.

When he returned, Kayla’s temperature read _38°C_ , to which Nico immediately pressed the cloth to her forehead.

Just as he stepped back, Austin groaned. “I’m bored…”

“Me too.” Will drawled, his cheek pressing into the mattress. Nico sighed, moving to get Will to properly lay on his bed. He took a tissue, wiping the drool from his cheek and tossing it away.

When Nico glanced over at Austin, he found him buried in a pile of blankets. His eyes were closed, which is something he noticed with all three of them. Their eyes were mostly closed, as if they were too heavy to keep open. They’d pry open every now and then, staring at nothing in particular before fluttering closed.

With Will, he’d caught him staring at Nico whenever he decided to pry his lids open. Their eyes would meet, and it never failed to make him blush, which was just what happened when he tilted his head a bit to the right.

“U-Um, I can put on a movie?” Nico mumbled, wrapping his arms around himself. He didn’t quite know how to work the projector, but he was confident enough he could figure it out.

All three made noises of approval, so Nico hurriedly scurried away to both get their dinner and set up that movie thing he suggested.

Nico didn’t give them a choice for dinner this time, simply pilling a healthy-looking portion of food onto their plates. He did sneak a big bowl of ice cream on Kayla’s tray, hoping it’d be enough to cool her off.

He’d brought Connor over to help him with the movie while he set up their trays, thanking the gods when they- for the most part- complied without fuss.

Except, they insisted on making a fort on the ground. Nico told them they’d regret it in the morning, but he was very much outnumbered. So he built them a fort, complete with lots of pillows and blankets and a few stuffed animals they had lying around.

After he kicked Connor out for his relentless teasing, Austin pressed play on some _Disney_ movie.

Nico slipped out to get some fresh air, as well as eat his own dinner without the threat of someone sneezing all over it. When he came back, their trays were off to the side, bodies lax against the cushioned wall and eyes drearily blinking.

When Will met his eyes, he perked up. “Neeks! Come sit!”

After weighing his options, he decided watching a movie was better than… doing nothing.

So he stepped into the cabin, the warm air fanning his cold cheeks and sending a shiver down his spine.

“Dealing with you all day was exhausting.” He immediately plopped down right by Will, only to be manhandled between his legs and pressed back right against Will’s chest. With his arms wrapped around his waist and his head pressed against his shoulder, it was almost suffocating warm.

“Shush.” He said, pressing a kiss right to Nico’s cheek. “We’re watching a movie.”

Nico rolled his eyes, but slowly toed off his shoes and slipped under the covers with them. In the quiet of the cabin, Nico couldn’t help but mull over how he’d have to do this next year, too.

Well…it truly wasn’t as bad as everyone had said. The three had slept for most of the day, but when they _were_ awake, that’s when the nightmare began.

But as the movie played on and the Apollo siblings grew more and more drowsy, Nico couldn’t help but smile as they cuddled closer, with Will at his back, Kayla to his right, and Austin to his left.

…Maybe he didn’t mind taking care of the overdramatic trio.

* * *

_first time falling ill_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I _totally_ headcanon the Apollo cabin being a bunch of big babies when they're sick. I say it's rare for them to get sick, almost to the point where they never do (unless it's the first day of winter).
> 
> And the cuddles! You can't tell me they haven't all fallen asleep in a big bundle like that at least once!
> 
> I just wanted some Apollo siblings + Nico fluff, hence the existence of this chapter!
> 
> Take care!
> 
> _Posted: September 20, 2020._


	38. healing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short one (just over 1k), but I really didn't know how to expand upon the topic ;-;
> 
> It's also sad and will make you want to comfort our precious little Nico...
> 
> Also!! About two weeks until the release of ToN!! I can't wait to read it!!
> 
> Enjoy!

_xxxviii._

Everything sucked.

It was like waking up to pure insults, something the Fates no doubt made sure he wouldn’t be able to escape. Something they thought would torment him even more on that disgustingly beautiful day…

And they were right- because Nico couldn’t stand listening to the resounding shrills that came from right outside his cabin. To happy laughs and content conversations and the peaceful serenity that came with simply _breathing._

It all felt yucky. Felt like the world was taunting him, showing him there was pure happiness to be found. That there was a world where everybody just got along and everything was perfect and- _and-_

And then there’s just… _Nico._

He didn’t want to move. It had been a sleepless night- Nico could practically feel the bags under his eyes throbbing as a result of his recent poor sleeping schedule- but being curled up in his dark cabin under his warm blankets would probably be enough to lull him into eventual sleep.

_Probably not._

Still, Nico didn’t feel like lifting a finger. There was not a bone in his body that itched to move, everything weighing him down and keeping him from doing anything in particular. It would have been sad, had this not been the routine for the past three years.

Except, he had nothing to do this year. Typically, he’d be everywhere doing anything and everything to get his mind off the day, but he couldn’t necessarily do that now.

He had a home- a place where he _couldn’t_ just leave as he pleased. He couldn’t simply step into the shadows and see where they took him, because as much as the though called to him, there was a certain someone who wouldn’t be too pleased with it…

And just as expected, there was a knock on the door.

There was _always_ a knock on the door.

“Nico?” Came the new voice from his front door, all soft and gentle. The smell of food immediately wafted into the cabin, making Nico’s stomach churn. Whether due to hunger or disgust- Nico couldn’t tell.

He pressed himself further into the mattress, his eyes unblinking as he stared off into the far side of the cabin. He was fairly surprised at the sound of the door clicking closed, because even if he knew Will would come by and check up on him, there was still a tiny part of his brain that had told him it wouldn’t happen.

And an even bigger part that told him he was being a nuisance.

“You doing okay?” Will asked, to which Nico almost scoffed at. What was he supposed to say? _My sister has been dead for four years now, does it look like I’m doing okay?_

But Nico bit his tongue. As much as he didn’t felt like ending the conversation there, he didn’t want to be rude.

He didn’t want to give the world another reason to hate him.

“No.” Nico answered truthfully. He’d long since learned not to skirt around his feelings- at least to pushy blonds with blue eyes.

The bed dipped behind him as Will sat on the edge, the sound of glass being set down an all too loud and obnoxious thing. Nico closed his eyes, melting into the bedsheets beneath his fingertips.

“That’s okay.” Will’s gentle tone made his stomach churn- those skeletal butterflies resurfacing once again. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Nico made a noncommittal noise, drawing his eyes to a close. They were heavier than ever, but even the _thought_ of sleep made his skin crawl.

There was a beat of silence before he felt the bed shifting once more, followed by a warm hand carding through his hair. “I brought you some chicken noodle soup, just how you like it.”

“M’not hungry.” Came his automatic response, which even he could tell was so obviously scripted.

Even so, he let Will coax him onto his back, half of his body lying on Will’s lap while the other half sprawled against the mattress. He was sure he looked as attractive as he felt- which wasn’t that high to begin with. Still, Will stared at him like he wasn’t completely disheveled and disgusting-looking.

Which Nico found hard to believe.

Will’s hand slipped from his hair, tracing down the path of his neck and cupping his cheek. His thumb brushed past what Nico guessed were evident tear streaks running down his cheeks, warm eyes following their path with intense scrutiny.

Eventually, Will settled his thumb right under Nico’s eyes, pressing against the puffy bags with such a gentle touch that made it feel kind of nice…

Nico took the time to study Will’s features, watching the way the corner of his lips twitched downward, the way the shadows cast themselves around his face, and the way the tip of his nose ever-so-slightly scrunched up.

And his eyes- they were like the sky on a perfect summer’s day. All blue and lively and beautiful; always expressing so many thoughts and emotions quite effortlessly.

Right now, they were riddled with worry. 

When their eyes met, it was like he was suddenly doused with ice-cold water. It was only then that Nico realized how long they’ve been staring at each other- how long Will had been bent over him and how long Nico had been staring at him like a creep…

And despite himself, Nico laughed.

Will raised a brow, but instead of saying anything, offered Nico a small smile.

Just looking at Will Solace made his heart do all sorts of funny things…

“You know,” Nico snuggled closer, biting his lip as he timidly peeked up at Will. “I haven’t ever laughed on this day. Not since…”

Will leaned down, pressing their lips together in a chaste little kiss. It was a bit awkward, what with being upside down from one another, but it was nice all the same. Nico even leaned into it, chasing Will’s lips as he pulled away not even a second later.

“I’m glad I can make you feel better.” Will smiled.

_Yeah,_ Nico thought, _you make me feel all sorts of things…_

* * *

_first time healing_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Bianca, but I will never respect her decision to join the hunters. It never sat right with me, and whenever I get around to writing a fic where Bianca lives, she will have no interest in them 🥰
> 
> Anyways, I heard Bianca died on the 24th of December, and I don't know if that's canon, but I've seen it enough to go with it. 
> 
> Again, sorry it's short, but school is kicking my butt and I really wanted this chapter to be more sentimental than romantic, and it just fit being short.
> 
> _Posted: September 24, 2020._


	39. making up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to go after this! Almost there!
> 
> This is one of my favorite chapters solely because of the little bits at the end. They get very touchy and, uh, I just crave that kind of affection for myself.
> 
> Thank you for the 16k hits, I never would have thought we'd even hit 10k <33

_xxxix._

“What do you mean Cecil’s _missing?_ ”

“I mean he’s _missing._ What else would I mean?”

“Connor—”

“Look, he wasn’t in his bunk yesterday morning. You know, he’s not really a morning person, so that was already enough to be questionable. When he didn’t show for sword practice or music lessons, we knew something was up.”

“So—”

“We went to sleep and just thought he’d be back sometime that night, but he still isn’t back yet.”

“Are you—”

“So we asked around, but no one has seen him. We went looking right before we came to you, because… well, you’re kind of on a date, but this time we’re sure something’s wrong.”

“I haven’t—”

“And—"

“Can you let me speak?” Will snapped, his eyes glinting ever so slightly in the moonlight.

Nico looked between the two, Will with his crossed arms and careful posture and Connor with his ever-restless self. Behind him stood the Hermes girls, Julia and Alice, watching the exchange with worry marring their features.

Connor snapped his mouth closed, the finger he had up in the air deflating as Will let out a heavy sigh. “You’re saying no one has seen Cecil for practically two days now?”

Connor nodded.

“And there have been no signs of him even sleeping in his own bed?”

“None,” Connor said, balancing on the balls of his feet.

It was quiet for a moment before Will spoke, though Nico noticed it was slightly less calm and confident than before. “Have you told Chiron about this?”

This time, Julia stepped up. “Yeah, we told him. He… He doesn’t think much of it- say’s it’s probably a Hermes kid sneaking around and such.”

Nico raised a brow.

“I mean, sure,” Connor starts up again, his lips twisting into a frown, “we _sometimes_ leave for a day or two, but this is different.”

Will tilted his head. “Connor, just recently you left to get some things for New Year’s.”

“That was a well-deserved trip.” He happily stated. Still, Will didn’t look any more reassured than he previously did. “Never mind- have you heard anything about him wanting to leave?”

“…No.” Was what Will finally said, his shoulders visibly deflating the more he thought about it.

Silence filled the air again, but this time, it wasn’t as peaceful as it had been.

Nico pretended not to notice the stares suddenly on him. Actually, they’d been on him since the very beginning of this conversation. Nico always noticed them, even if people thought they were being subtle about it.

So he stood from where he had been sitting, his legs a little stiff from tensing up so much. Even his fingers felt sore, especially the skin around his ring. It was tender, and if he didn’t stop twisting the ring around his finger, he’d probably wear it down to the bone.

“He’s not dead.” Nico came to stand next to Will, distracting his hands by slipping one between them. He took Will’s hand, hiding their intertwining fingers from the three sets of prying eyes. “If that’s what you’re wondering.”

Alice smiled, though it was slightly wobbly. “Thank you, Nico. After everything… it’s just reassuring to have some clearance.”

Nico nodded, but he didn’t feel all too good about it. Thankfully, Will squeezed at their hands, offering some form of reassurance. Nico squeezed them right back.

It had been a few days since Cecil was last seen, and Will’s worry had not wavered. They’d been sent out in search parties, but there was no luck. No sign of anything, and it was clearly driving Will insane.

Nico could tell he was nervous, given the way he began working himself day and night. He was tense all the time and jumped whenever there was the slightest of noise, which just made Nico’s heart hurt.

Will was currently slumped over the infirmary office’s desk, piles of paperwork waiting for him on the side. The bags under his eyes were big enough to rival Nico’s, and the pure frustration on his face was nearly enough to burn holes through whatever he had his eyes on.

It was near sunset, the golden light spilling into the room and coating everything in a warm hue. Will would have looked in his element, but right now, he looked nearly as bad as he did when he was sick.

When the pen he was writing with flew right out of his hold, Nico had enough.

“You need to rest.” He said, jumping down from his spot on the windowsill and making his way over to his boyfriend. “You’ve been working every second for the past few days. Take a _break._ ”

Will sighed, a frustrated sound that only solidified Nico’s suspicions.

He made his way over right behind the rickety chair, stepping over a few random things. That was another thing that ticked him off- usually, Will was very organized. Whenever things got this messy, Will wasn’t in the best of moods.

“I’m fine, Nico.” Will waved him off, slouching right back over the desk. He wasn’t even holding anything, just glaring at the paper like it was personally offending him.

Nico huffed, his eyes landing on the tensed-up muscles of Will’s shoulders. He stepped closer, planting his hands right on the hunched up mounds. Will immediately tensed, though relaxed as Nico started to dig his fingers into the hard muscles.

He leaned down, resting his chin on Will’s shoulder and glancing down at the half-scribbled paper on the desk. Sometimes, Will’s writing looked like utter chicken scratch, which was what it looked like right now. He could barely read it, even if it was in Ancient Greek,

Will really _was_ losing it.

“Come to bed with me,” Nico whispered into those blond curls, too preoccupied with working at the knot on Will’s back to blush at the sickly domestic thing he had just said.

“As tempting as that sounds,” Will teased, slightly slumping back into the chair, “I have work to do.”

Nico frowned. “No, you don’t.”

Will tilted his head enough to meet his eyes, shooting him a frown of his own. “Yes, I do. There’s a bunch of paperwork to fill out, if you hadn’t noticed.”

Something about that sentence, coupled with the incredibly tired appearance and snappy attitude Will came to harbor, made Nico incredibly angry. “You’re such a hypocrite!”

“Excuse me?” Will turned in his spot this time, practically forcing Nico’s hands off of him.

“If I were even a fraction as tired as you are right now, you’d have dragged me to the infirmary the very second you saw me!”

“Well sorry for trying to look after you.”

“But that’s exactly what I’m trying to do for you!”

“And I said I’m fine!”

“No, you’re not! You’re not taking care of yourself—"

“Since when do you know anything about taking care of yourself!?”

That… was unexpected.

Nico hadn’t noticed it before, but the air was suddenly much colder than it had been. It was cold enough to see his breath every time he exhaled, coming out in little puffs of humidity. He wondered why Will had shown no signs of the dropping temperature, because he _definitely_ knew about it.

And even if Nico was flashing him one of his death glares, Will didn’t even flinch.

He _never_ flinched.

Before the wood started chipping beneath his feet- even if it was probably a little too late for that- Nico moved to step right out the door.

Except, a hand on his wrist stopped him.

Nico refused to lose his glare, even if his heart did this funny thing when he was met with a truly deflated Will.

“I’m sorry…” Will mumbled, his eyes drifting to the floor. “I’m just… worried.”

A few seconds passed before Nico sighed into the bitter air, uttering a small _I know_.

Will’s eyes lifted to meet his, and Nico offered him a tiny smile. He took the collar of that awfully orange hoodie and stood on the tips of his toes, pressing his lips right to Will’s for a chaste kiss.

Just as he pulled away, Will slipped his arms around his waist and pulled him right back, their lips pressing together with more intensity than before.

Nico definitely did _not_ mewl when Will nipped at his lips. All too soon, Will was pulling away.

The hands on his hips steadied him, and when Will smiled and touched their foreheads together, Nico practically lost all ability to think. He was glad he had his hands splayed across Will’s chest, giving him something to distract himself from the unfairly attractive _idiota_ in front of him.

And because easily able to beat his fists against Will’s chest when he got _booped_ on the nose.

Will laughed. “You’re adorable.”

Just as Nico opened his mouth to retort with something witty, the door suddenly swung open. “Will, I—”

Nico almost laughed at the look on Austin’s face, but when he remembered the scandalous position he and Will were in, his face immediately began to burn up.

“Uh, do you guys need a minute—”

“Get out.” Will waved him away, pulling Nico in to a warm embrace.

Even after Austin had left, they stayed like that, with Nico’s head buried in the crook of Will’s neck.

Eventually, Nico wiggled free, brushing a blond curl behind Will’s ear. “We’ll find him. Either he shows up or we stumble upon him, but we’ll find him.”

“I know we will.” Will took his hand, gently guiding it up to press a kiss to his knuckles. Nico blushed, and when their eyes met, it felt like his face was finally melting. “Now how about we go cuddle in your cabin? I _am_ pretty tired…”

* * *

_first time making up_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, this was supposed to be a bigger fight between the two- the _we almost broke up_ type of fight every couple goes through. I voted against it, mostly because I would have liked to put it in earlier chapters, but also because they're only a handful of months into their relationship, and I think they'd go through all that later on.
> 
> Oop, Cecil's missing. Honestly, I always thought they were a little too calm about the disappearance. Like, they continued on with campfires and three-legged death races? Just like normal? What-
> 
> Anyhow, I'll see you guys next time!
> 
> _Posted: September 28, 2020._


	40. feeling okay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, the ending we’ve all been waiting for!
> 
> I’ll thank everyone now, for following along with this crazy collection of fluffy fics! It’s been a blast and I never imagined being able to entertain so many people, but I’m glad I was able to bring a smile to your face! Hugs and kisses to each and every single one of you!
> 
> Prepare yourself for long end notes, as I still have lots of random things to say!
> 
> A friendly reminder to all my American friends who are eligible to vote, _go vote!_ I will be forcing my parents to come vote with me, so please drag everybody you know to go with you!
> 
> (P.S: My birthday is on October 19 and I'll be turning 19! Just to throw that out there >.<)

_xl._

He was having a nice time with his boyfriend, all things considered.

They were in the infirmary, Nico quietly cutting up some bandages while Will did some inventory in the back. Even if they were in separate rooms, Nico’s presence calmed him more than he could ever describe.

He wouldn’t say it aloud, but he was worried. Worried he’d wake up and find Nico missing from his cabin- find either Austin or Kayla gone. Anybody, really- but… Nico worried him a lot more.

A child of the Big Three, son of Hades, the _Ghost King_.

What bad guy _wouldn’t_ want to get their hands on him?

Still, he knew Nico was more than capable of taking care of himself. He was nearly unstoppable with his sword, and with the earth underneath his feet and shadows at an arm’s length away, nothing could get in the way of Nico di Angelo.

…But that didn’t mean he couldn’t worry. While capable, Nico still tired far too quickly after using his powers. It hadn’t happened yet, but Will was in no way interested discovering just how much it took to make Nico’s body start melting into the shadows.

Maybe Will could sneak over and spend the night. They hadn’t done that in a few days, considering the past few events, but…

Just then, the doors to the infirmary swung open, banging against the walls with a loud _thud!_

Will jumped, nearly spilling the bottle of pills in his grasp. It only then occurred to him that he had spaced out, practically staring at the little container for gods know how long.

So he shook himself out of it and set the pills down, peering his head out and into the infirmary.

Nico was still right where he had left him, sitting on a cot with a stack of cut-up bandages at his side. Instead of starting on the remaining rolls, Nico’s head was tilted upwards, fixated on the person standing at the door.

He wasn’t too surprised to find Sherman there, his arms holding either door at his side open and face set in a scowl. Before Will could ask what injury he was sporting this time, Sherman looked around, scanning every inch of the infirmary before his eyes settled on the both of them.

“Have either of you seen Miranda?” He questioned, voice thick and gruff with an underlying frustration.

At first, a wave of amusement washed over Will.

Those two had finally stopped skirting around each other and had gotten together just a few days ago. He remembered the day pretty vividly, because right after they’d been thrown into the canoe lake, everyone had to run for their lives, lest Sherman ended up stabbing you in the leg.

It was sweet, and it reminded him of when he and Nico had been chucked into the lake. Nico had emerged from the water with an embarrassed blush and a terribly shy demeanor, and Will remembered thinking he had never seen such a beautiful sight.

But that’s when he noticed the growing fury behind Sherman’s eyes, and suddenly, everything was just as gloomy as before.

It had been a few weeks since Cecil disappeared. Nothing was ever found to suggest he left on his own or was even… _taken_ , which didn’t make anybody feel any better. A week later, the same thing happened to Ellis.

Chiron had suggested he went off on an impromptu adventure, given his reckless nature. Still, Chiron had seemed a little worried when the second disappearance was announced, and Sherman, while he wouldn’t say it, was obviously very worried as well.

And now, it looked like…

“We haven’t seen her,” Nico uttered, twisting in his place to shoot Will a frown. He knew exactly what Nico was thinking, and he didn’t like it.

Sherman didn’t say a word as he let the doors slam shut, the sounds of his heavy footsteps fading the farther he went.

_“Di immortales,”_ Will cursed, running a hand through his unruly hair. He turned to Nico, finding him staring off at the door with a frown on his face. “Do you think she…”

“Disappeared?” Nico glanced at him from the corner of his eyes. Will nodded. “With how things are turning out, I wouldn’t doubt it.”

Well, that didn’t make Will feel any better, but Nico had never been known for his sweet words.

“Sorry.” Nico gingerly said, and when Will looked up again, he was twisting the ring around his finger. 

“No,” Will offered him a smile, this time fully stepping out of the backroom and making his way over to Nico. “It’s okay. I guess I’m still a little… shaken up.”

The little twitch at the corner of Nico’s lips made his nerves feel like they were on fire. “We won’t know if she’s actually gone until Chiron announces it at dinner.”

“And if she is?”

Nico faltered. “Then we definitely know something is going on.”

Will took Nico’s hand, running his thumb all over those bony knuckles. As much as Nico pretended not to like it, Will knew little actions like those never failed to calm him down.

It was like that for a few more minutes, just the small caress of Will’s thumb and the comfortable silence hanging over the air.

“What if we get roped up into something new?” Will suddenly asked, moving to intertwine their fingers together.

Nico didn’t say anything, just leaned back into Will’s slowly approaching embrace. With Nico’s hand still in his, Will wrapped his arms around Nico’s waist, squeezing him close and pressing his nose right into the crook of Nico’s neck.

He found himself embracing Nico much more often, and part of it was because he liked how well Nico fit into his arms, but the other part of it was because he found so much comfort in simply holding his boyfriend close, right where he _knew_ he was safe.

Will was also an affectionate person, which also might have something to do with his need to smoother his adorable little sunshine whenever they were alone.

“It’s possible.” Nico swung his feet, and Will got a little caught up in watching them go back and forth.

After a few moments of silence, Will sighed, melting into Nico’s fluffy hair. “Nothing ever has to be easy for us, does it?”

He could practically imagine the little upwards twitch to Nico’s lips, given the almost light and breathless tone of his voice. “Whatever happens, we’ll get through it. Together.”

Will beamed, and he couldn’t help but press a flurry of kisses to Nico’s reddening cheeks.

Miranda’s disappearance had been confirmed at dinner.

It was obvious Chiron was more than a little worried at this point, but true to himself, he hid it fairly well under his calm and composed persona.

Despite this, he knew everyone could sense the off-putting feeling coming from the news. Three disappearances in less than a month wasn’t the best way to start off their meal.

By the time the campfire rolled around, only about half of camp decided to show. The rest were understandably a little shaky, claiming a long night’s rest would be enough to get them up and running in the morning.

Nico opted to call it an early night, but Will insisted on joining the few that were up for their traditional nightly activity. Besides, s’mores sounded way too good to skip out on that night.

The flames were not nearly as high as they used to be, but that was a given.

It was chilly enough for Nico to lean into him, despite the warmer hoodie he had picked. Will didn’t mind, happily wrapping his arm around his little ball of sunshine.

Nico huffed when his marshmallow caught on fire, bringing it a little too close to them and blowing the flames out.

Will smiled, sandwiching the marshmallow between two crackers and a piece of chocolate, holding it up to Nico’s lips before he could protest.

With a blush, Nico took a bite of the s’more. Will just _had_ to kiss away the chocolate on the very corner of those pretty lips.

There wasn’t much talking, but it didn’t matter. Will could stay there all night, cuddling up with his boyfriend and roasting a marshmallow over the fire.

It was perfect.

…Until, something felt _off._

There was a series of crumpling noises, like tree roots being yanked from the ground. Nico’s head rose from its spot against Will’s chest, raising a brow and slowly drawing his marshmallow away from the fire.

The singing gradually died down as the others pointed out the noise, their ears perked up and straining to examine the sound.

Eerily enough, a flurry of hysterical laughter followed the rippling noise.

Will looked towards Nico, who met his gaze with a little frown. It soon became evident that the sounds were coming straight from the forest.

He heard a few curses from somewhere beside him, and at the same time, Nico’s hand immediately reached for the blade at his side. Will didn’t carry any sort of weapon on him, so he just silently looked on with the rest of them.

From the forest, a pair came tumbling out. Everyone immediately stood, weapons poised and ready for attack, threatening the two disheveled kids.

One of them- a boy- immediately caught Will’s eye. He was the one who had been laughing, given the amused look on his face. His curly brown hair bobbed with every step they took, eyes wide and maniacal looking.

But what _really_ drew Will’s eyes were the clouds of steam billowing from his clothes.

The boy grinned. “Oh, hi! I’m Apollo!”

And then, he fainted.

* * *

_first time feeling okay_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ll be honest, the prompt was only a smidge of the chapter, but wow! We’re finished! Nearly five months later, I’ve managed to pump out this 40 chapter fic with over 70k+ words! That’s just under 10k words that The Lightning Thief ended up being- which is just crazy to think about…
> 
> I’d like to explain my choice in format, as I only ever intended this fic to be like ten chapters long-  
> Essentially, I thought it’d be a fun idea to have ten chapters per month, though the first ten and last ten dipped into two months. Chapters 1-10 take place in late August and September, then October (11-20), November (21-30), and finally end on December and early January (31-40). 
> 
> Just a fun look into my thought process, and I thought it’d make sense, so…
> 
> Also, I’d like to mention I had Will almost say _I love you_ two times in this fic. They both are where he says _“I…”_ , and I know the second one is in chapter 34, but I forget where I placed the first one… 
> 
> I also changed all the chapter titles to their actual prompts for two reasons: it’s easier to navigate and the element of surprise is not needed anymore (at least, for those of you who followed along). Hope that helps!
> 
> It’s been fun! Take care and look out for my future fics! <3
> 
> _Posted: October 2, 2020._


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